The statistics show that one Arsenal player produced an utterly dominant performance against Manchester City on Sunday.
Arsenal were defensively excellent to man at the Etihad Stadium.
Mikel Arteta obviously set his side up with a very clear game-plan. The Gunners were not able to dominate possession as they usually do, and so they sat deep, kept compact, and soaked up plenty of pressure throughout the match.
It was a defensive masterclass from the north London club, which earned them a 0-0 draw and a valuable Premier League point against the reigning champions. Off the back of this result, Arsenal remain well-placed in the title race, and will be boosted by the knowledge that they have gone unbeaten against Liverpool and Manchester City in the Premier League this season.
Arsenal were able to end Manchester City’s 57-game goalscoring streak at their own stadium.
On an individual basis, many Arsenal players stuck to their task admirably throughout the ninety minutes. Gabriel Magalhaes won his physical battle with Erling Haaland. In the meantime, Declan Rice successfully thwarted Kevin De Bruyne in his efforts to unlock the Gunners’ defence.
However, the statistics show that William Saliba’s performance in the heart of the backline provided the backbone of Arsenal’s solidity.
William Saliba produced a defensive masterclass v Manchester City
The 23-year-old is already considered by many to be one of the best defenders in the Premier League. Saliba and Gabriel have been hailed as the best centre-back pairing in the top flight of English football.
The Frenchman was once again imperious at the Etihad Stadium. As per Sofascore statistics, Saliba won eight duels on Sunday, two in the air and six on the ground. He also made three tackles and five clearances. On top of that, he was not dribbled past once in the game, and he was able to block one shot.
The £190,000-a-week ace produced a mature and diligent performance to ensure that the hosts were never able to create a clear-cut opportunity from open play.
William Saliba praised after boosting Arsenal title hopes
Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy has previously described Saliba as a “superstar” and he lived up to that billing at the Etihad Stadium.
After the match, Arsenal club captain Martin Odegaard talked up the “brilliant” Saliba, and recalled how sorely missed he was last season when the Gunners’ title hopes were destroyed by Manchester City in this fixture.
This time around, though, Saliba was fit to face off against Pep Guardiola’s men on their own patch and his magnificent performance gave Arsenal’s title credentials a real boost.