Arteta Backs Saliba for Continued Growth at Arsenal
Mikel Arteta has made an exciting prediction regarding Arsenal defender William Saliba, insisting the £27million star is still far from his peak and will "reach new levels" in the coming years. The Arsenal manager expressed confidence in Saliba's development, highlighting his potential for significant improvement across multiple areas of his game.
Saliba's Journey to Arsenal First Team
The France international joined Arsenal from St Etienne seven years ago in a high-profile transfer, but his path to regular first-team football was not straightforward. After his initial move, Saliba was immediately loaned back to his boyhood club and subsequently struggled to win Arteta's trust following Unai Emery's departure.
Further loan spells at Nice and Marseille followed before Saliba finally secured his opportunity at the start of the 2022/23 campaign. His impressive debut against Crystal Palace marked the beginning of his consistent presence in Arsenal's defence, where he has formed a formidable partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes that is now regarded as one of Europe's strongest defensive pairings.
Arteta's Detailed Assessment of Saliba's Potential
Now aged 24 and approaching what should be the prime years of his career, Saliba recently committed his long-term future to Arsenal by signing a new contract. Arteta believes there is plenty more to come from the centre-back, particularly as the team's tactical demands evolve.
When questioned about whether Saliba had been demonstrating new aspects to his game recently, especially in possession, Arteta explained: "That's something we have to continue to evolve. The game will change, the opponent will adapt, and we have to find other ways to help them."
Arteta emphasised the increasing responsibility of Arsenal's defensive line: "The backline is going to have to take more responsibility to break teams down, especially in the way most teams set up against us. They're going to be really important."
Asked specifically where Saliba could improve, Arteta was enthusiastic in his response: "Willy? So much in every area. I look at him and there is so much growth and potential there. He really wants it, and I think he will go to different levels in the next few years."
The manager detailed specific areas for development: "In both boxes he can be much better, and then everything that goes from box to box in his leadership, in the way he commands the line and the way he makes adjustments to the backline. There is a lot, and with Gabi they found a great partnership, but he can form other partnerships as well, and his status in the team has to grow."
Arteta's Message to Arsenal Supporters
Alongside his comments about Saliba, Arteta addressed Arsenal's Premier League title ambitions ahead of their crucial match against Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners are in their strongest position to end a 22-year league title drought since Arsene Wenger's Invincibles era, though recent goalless draws against Liverpool and Nottingham Forest have created anxiety among supporters.
Arteta has challenged Arsenal fans to contribute positively: "It is not about calming the fans, but it is about continuing to do what we are doing really well and try to evolve every single day to be better. From their side, it is continuing to do what they do in the stadium; create more energy, more positiveness around the games in each action. If we do that and we create that kind of scenario, we are going to make it more and more difficult for the opponent, and that is going to help us to win more games."
Previewing the Manchester United Challenge
Arteta acknowledged the threat posed by Manchester United, who recently defeated Manchester City 2-0 under interim manager Michael Carrick: "They are so good in a lot of departments. It is clear that when that team has the space to run and certain players to activate their runs, they become lethal, and you saw that a few days ago in Manchester."
He added: "Michael coming in will bring new ideas. Always, the intensity rises up. And you could see that in the Manchester derby, the kind of behaviours and the game that they played, so we will expect a really tough match and we'll adapt to that for sure. But we are at home and we know how important that game is for us."
As Arsenal continue their pursuit of Premier League glory after three consecutive runner-up finishes, Arteta's faith in Saliba's development represents a key component of the club's long-term strategy. The manager's detailed analysis suggests Saliba's best years at Arsenal may still lie ahead, with the defender poised to become an even more influential figure in the team's quest for silverware.
