Arsenal secured a crucial, rare win at Manchester United on Sunday and one Gunners man’s ‘nerves of steel’ beside an ‘edgy’ teammate stunned BBC pundit, Garth Crooks.
The north London natives enjoyed only their second win at Old Trafford since 2006 thanks to Leandro Trossard last weekend. Arsenal scored what proved to be the only goal of the match in the 20th minute to keep the pressure on Manchester City in the Premier League title race.
Arsenal will host Everton at Emirates Stadium on the last day of the season on Sunday with a chance to lift the title. Trossard kept their hopes alive after peeling off Aaron Wan-Bissaka to find Kai Havertz’s cutback after Ben White punished Casemiro for playing the visitors onside.
Garth Crooks hails William Saliba for his role in Arsenal’s win at Manchester United
But it was not Trossard whom Crooks included in his latest Team of the Week for BBC Sport. Instead, William Saliba is the only Arsenal player he named in his best-performing XI for the penultimate matchweek, having stood up at Manchester United next to Gabriel Magalhaes.
Crooks felt for the first time in a while that Gabriel looked edgy at Old Trafford given what is at stake for the Gunners. But Saliba was the epitome of coolness and got better as the game went on to protect Arsenal’s net. Not once did Crooks see a nervy moment from Saliba, too.
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“I must say, and for the first time for quite a while, I saw a little edginess in Gabriel’s game,” Crooks told BBC Sport. “That was understandable given a Premier League title is at stake.
“But I didn’t see so much as a flicker of tension from Saliba. The Frenchman was yet again as solid as a rock and portrayed increasing nerves of steel the longer the game went on.”
Gabriel Magalhaes deserves praise for his performance in a rare win at Old Trafford
Saliba has been a rock at the back for Arsenal all season and rightly earned Crooks’ praise at Manchester United. The 23-year-old particularly stood up with his crucial last-man tackle to stop Alejandro Garnacho in his tracks. Saliba stuck out a foot with ideal, inch-perfect timing.
His precision to prevent Garnacho fashioning a shot from inside Arsenal’s box was the exact reason Saliba drew Crooks’ praise. But the centre-half also seldom let Rasmus Hojlund get a clear sight of David Raya’s net. Yet Gabriel also warrants praise for his role in Arsenal’s result.
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While Crooks felt Gabriel looked edgy at Old Trafford, the 26-year-old often kept a cool head under Manchester United’s pressure. He also had Hojlund’s number in their physical tussles last Sunday to the extent that the striker tried to impose himself on Saliba over the Brazilian.
So, while Crooks named Saliba as the only Arsenal player in his Team of the Week for his role in their win at Manchester United, the Frenchman may not have stood out to the same level had Gabriel not done his role in what remains the best defensive unit in the Premier League.
