I saw William Saliba prove he is Arsenal’s best in Aston Villa win, he was ‘unbelievable’
Arsenal defender William Saliba was at his brilliant best once again in the Premier League.
The Gunners beat Aston Villa in their first away game of the season, winning the fixture in the second half after a trialling opening hour.
Goals from Leandro Trossard and Thomas Partey secured the win for the visitors, who achieved revenge on the Midlands club following the results of the 2023/24 campaign.
Mikel Arteta will be delighted with his side’s determination to win the game against a well-organised Villa squad, with one player standing out above the rest.
William Saliba’s game in numbers against Aston Villa
In a performance that was described as “unbelievable” by Arsenal supporter Piers Morgan, Saliba shone the brightest at Villa Park.
The Frenchman was closely followed by David Raya and Trossard however, no one could usurp the centre-back’s individual brilliance on Saturday evening.
It was a phenomenal display from Saliba, who simply performed at a level that many have become accustomed to seeing week in week out.
The France international’s world class ability was on display for the entirety of the 90 minutes he played, portrayed by the single pass he misplaced during the fixture.
From defensive perfection to being an assured distributor of the ball, the 23-year-old did not put a foot wrong in the cauldron that is Villa Park.
Saliba is Arsenal’s best player
Arsenal saw during the 2022/23 campaign what happens when Saliba is not present in the squad, as Arteta’s side crumbled in the defender’s absence.
It’s easy to forget that the Frenchman is only 23, playing at a level of peak consistency to earn his imperious status in North London.
The centre-back’s performance against Villa was no different, with him prevailing as Arsenal’s best on the day and reinforcing that he is Arsenal’s best in general.
Last week against Wolves, Saliba became the fastest Arsenal player to reach 50 wins in the Premier League, maintaining a remarkable win rate of 75.4% from the 66 games he’s represented the Gunners.
It would be difficult to imagine Arteta’s plan coming to life without several players, but none anywhere near as important as the stellar central defender who has truly raised the bar at the Emirates.
