Iconic former midfielder Emmanuel Petit has now had his say on the manner in which one Arsenal star is treated whilst on international duty.
William Saliba is one of eleven Arsenal players currently featuring at Euro 2024.
However, despite having been in remarkable form for the Gunners over the course of the last two seasons, he is yet to establish himself as a regular starter for his country.
France manager Didier Deschamps has been critical of Saliba in the past, calling him out for being somewhat error-prone.
It is hard to imagine that Mikel Arteta would agree with Deschamps’ position, and neither would the vast majority of Arsenal fans. The Spanish coach certainly has full faith in the the 23-year-old centre-back.
Saliba made history for Arsenal last season as he became the first outfield player to ever play every minute of a Premier League campaign for the club. The defender was imperious throughout the season, scarcely putting a foot wrong for the North London club.
Arsenal legend Emmanuel Petit urges William Saliba to prove his worth for France
Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit, who won a Premier League title and FA Cup with the club in 1998, has now called upon Saliba to prove Deschamps wrong.
The 53-year-old is another with faith in the 15-cap international’s abilities. As quoted by The Sun on Sunday (print edition 16/06/2024, Goals pull-out section, page 12), Petit said: “It is time for him to step up and to take the opportunity. I don’t know if he will get minutes but if he does, he has to grab it. He has to show Deschamps he was wrong with what he said.
“We all didn’t understand what he said because Saliba is probably one of the best central defenders in Europe.”
Petit knows all about what it takes to succeed at international level, as he won both the World Cup and the Euros in his playing days, on his way to amassing 63 caps for France himself. He is correct to question Deschamps’ stance on Saliba, which is inexplicable. The Arsenal man now needs to let his football do the talking.
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Before Saliba will have a chance to strut his stuff for France though, England will be in action against Serbia. Bukayo Saka is expected to start after passing a fitness test, and will almost certainly be joined by Arsenal teammate Declan Rice in Gareth Southgate’s side.
On top of that, Jorginho has already impressed Arsenal fans with his display for Italy as they overcame Albania.
In this week’s episode of Cannon Fire – The Arsenal Insider Podcast, Will Jones and Rahul Lakhani discuss the European Championships. With 11 Arsenal players set to feature at the tournament, the pair debated which players could be fighting for their futures, and which are destined to succeed on the international stage.