Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is reaping the rewards of finding a rock-solid central-defensive partnership.
William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes have been excellent at the heart of the Gunners’ back four and played a key role in their side’s impressive start to the campaign. Only Everton, with seven, have conceded fewer goals than the eight Arsenal have let in — Brighton and Newcastle are joint-second with them — and that meanness has earned the pair rave reviews.
Saliba, in particular, has been singled out for praise, but Arteta is just as pleased with Gabriel, who arrived from Lille a little more than two years ago and, now aged 24, is much more physically imposing than he was in his first couple of seasons.
Arteta said: “I don’t see central defenders as individuals. They are always partnerships and there has to be an element of chemistry, understanding and complementing each other, and those two maximise each other’s qualities in a really positive way.
“Gabriel was coming from France, still raw physically, he wasn’t developed, he wasn’t in the muscular tone that obviously we wanted. But he has been really disciplined and working really hard to improve that because he understands the physicality in this league is really demanding. You see him physically and everyone notices the change.”
As pleased as Arteta has been, however, he still insists they cannot be mentioned in the same breath as Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip, who will be at the back for today’s opponents, Liverpool. He added: “The moment they win everything the other two have won will be the right moment.”
HAVE YOUR SAY! Will Arsenal's defence manage to keep it tight all season? Let us know in the comments section
It isn’t just in the centre of Arsenal’s defence that there have been some big performances, with right-back Ben White catching the eye. And such has been his form that Arteta believes there is a real opportunity for him to go to the World Cup with England after surgery made Kyle Walker a major doubt.
Arteta said: “Ben would be very comfortable playing on the right of a back three as well as in the middle, or as a full-back. If you ask me if he is ready to make that step then the answer is, ‘Yes, because he is a very confident boy, he gives you absolutely everything, he is always available and he has the courage to play under real pressure’.
“We all believed he had the qualities to play at right-back and the most important step, probably, was for him to believe he could do it and feel comfortable in that position, and know this position could maximise his potential and give him another dimension as a player. The fact he can play in various positions makes him a more complete player and he’s very happy with that.”
On Sunday, White will be up against a rival for that England spot in Trent Alexander-Arnold and Arteta believes his man can learn plenty from him. He added: “Trent is a very special talent. He’s an attacking midfielder, a winger, a midfielder playing as a full-back.
“The way he can threaten the opponent, especially with his range of passing, his capability to play with the ball… he likes to play inside, to play outside, to play in different zones on the pitch and be so comfortable. And then what he adds offensively to the team every year is difficult to find in that position.”
