Arsenal have coped well with injuries to key players this season, but William Saliba’s absence is threatening to derail their title bid.
The centre-back has not played since injuring his back against Sporting on March 16, when the Gunners crashed out of the Europa League. Arsenal are working with Saliba daily as they try to get him fit, and manager Mikel Arteta said last week he is “progressing well”.
The Frenchman, however, is a doubt for Friday’s game at home to Southampton and Arsenal’s crucial trip to the Etihad a week on Wednesday.
Without Saliba, the Gunners’ solid defence has shown cracks. In four matches, they have kept no clean sheets and conceded six goals. Prior to that, they had kept 12 clean sheets in the Premier League and were on average conceding less than a goal a game.
Arsenal have had spells this season without key players Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Thomas Partey, however Saliba’s absence is proving the most costly.
He had started every Premier League game this season until his injury, forming a strong partnership with Brazilian centre-half Gabriel. Off the pitch the pair get on well, often joking around in French and Portuguese, while on it their two styles suit each other.
Gabriel is an aggressive defender and Saliba’s presence allows him to be on the front foot. Gabriel is often charged with going to win the first ball, while Saliba uses his pace to sweep up behind him.
The partnership has allowed Arsenal to play a higher defensive line this season, which has resulted in them winning the ball in the opponent’s half more often.
Arsenal have had spells this season without key players, but Saliba’s absence is proving the most costly
Without Saliba, the Gunners have quite literally dropped and Opta statistics show how their defensive line against West Ham on Sunday was nearly three metres deeper compared to their season average. Rob Holding is a solid centre-back, but he lacks the pace of Saliba.
The issue has been compounded by Takehiro Tomiyasu being out for the rest of the season. The right-back injured his knee on the same night Saliba picked up his back problem.
There have been many defining moments in this title race, but that defeat by Sporting is certainly one of the biggest. It has starved Arteta of the option of playing Ben White in the heart of defence, where he was used last season, and starting Tomiyasu at right-back.
The absence of Saliba was felt strongly against West Ham and that is partly due to Zinchenko being out, too. Much is made of the Ukrainian being key to Arsenal’s build-up play, but Saliba is vital as well. He and Gabriel have played more passes than any Arsenal player this season.
Arsenal have experience of facing Manchester City without Saliba, as he was a substitute for their fourth-round FA Cup tie in January. Arteta started Gabriel and Holding, but by half-time the latter had been booked and subbed for Saliba after a torrid time against Erling Haaland. Arsenal will fear history repeating itself next week.
