‘Impeccable’: Micah Richards says £27m Arsenal man was by far the best player on the pitch at Old Trafford

Micah Richards has claimed that one Arsenal star was ‘by far’ the best player on the pitch at Old Trafford yesterday.

This season’s Premier League title race will go right down to the wire after Arsenal picked up a rare win at Manchester United on Sunday.

After picking up just one victory in their last 16 visits to Old Trafford, Mikel Arteta’s side ended a miserable run in Manchester.

Leandro Trossard’s first-half effort proved to be enough for the Gunners despite a slightly below-par display on the road.

United had more of the ball on the day but rarely threatened David Raya’s goal as they created just 0.75 xG.

That was largely down to Arsenal’s ever-reliable centre-back duo William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes.

Both players have excelled this season and it’s no coincidence that Arteta’s men boast the best defensive record in the league, having conceded just 18 goals in 37 games.

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Richards lauds William Saliba after Arsenal beat Man United

Saliba scooped the Man of the Match award from Gary Neville on Sky Sports yesterday after yet another commanding display at centre-back.

And Richards agrees with Neville as he feels Saliba was comfortably the best player on the pitch.

“What a player he is,” Richards told The Rest Is Football. “It’s just his timing, you know when you are watching centre halves. I know you guys love watching centre forwards but I love watching defenders and how they read the game and their positioning and tackling and the timing of his challenges today was just impeccable.

“The reading of the game was great, we all know that he’s got pace as well and he’s good on the ball, but what a player he is. The best player on the pitch by far.”

READ MORE: Gary Neville unimpressed with ‘quiet’ £30m Arsenal player despite Old Trafford win

Saliba’s stats vs Man United

Based on the statistics alone, Saliba was Arsenal’s best player at Old Trafford on Sunday.

The 23-year-old’s 7.8 match rating from WhoScored made him their highest-rated player on the day.

The Frenchman’s defensive stats also reflect what was a composed performance at centre-back as Arsenal limited United to scraps in front of goal.

After Saliba missed the end of the last campaign through injury, the £27 million man’s importance to this current Arsenal side has been further highlighted by his recent displays.

The Gunners endured a miserable run of form at a crucial stage last term and that was partly down to Saliba’s absence.