Arsenal loanee William Saliba has admitted that Kylian Mbappe is the toughest opponent he has come up against in Ligue 1.
Saliba made headlines on social media for a stunning last-ditch tackle on Mbappe to stop him from testing the goalkeeper when Marseille faced PSG in October last year. The 20-year-old’s overall displays have been impressive as he seems to have come of age despite failing to make a single first-team appearance at Arsenal.
When asked who his toughest opponent in Ligue 1 has been so far, Saliba said:
“The striker with whom you have to be the most concentrated (in Ligue 1) is Kylian Mbappé, of course. He can score every minute of the game. Attackers who move a lot and who require a lot in depth, it's difficult. But if I want to be a great defender, I have to know how to defend against each profile.”
Saliba will hope to finish the season strongly at Marseille and return to Arsenal
It remains to be seen whether Saliba will play for the north London side next season. His current contract with the Gunners only expires in the summer of 2024.
He could, however, make his senior debut for France before even playing his first game for Arsenal. France manager Didier Deschamps has named Saliba as Benjamin Pavard’s replacement after the Bayern Munich man tested positive for COVID-19.
Saliba’s performance for Marseille have hence not gone unnoticed. However, it remains to be seen if that will be enough for him to get a chance at Arsenal. The Gunners have done well defensively this season as the duo of Ben White and Gabriel have forged a good partnership at the back.
Saliba will hope he can continue to impress for Marseille in the coming months. The centre-back has featured 28 times for the club so far this season and has helped them to second in the league table.
Marseille have a joint second-best defensive record in Ligue 1, and Saliba has been a key cog in achieving defensive rigidity. At just 20, Saliba has a lot of football ahead of him and Mikel Arteta could perhaps take a punt on him next season.
Tiwdprsyz
0
we really need you because of our poor defense, saliba
lahekmnty
1
Come back home bro we need you to bench Ben white for us please
yashshirwant10
1
Arteta does not like Saliba , period. Maybe because his father is a Lebanese and his mother is from Cameron. Just saying, also Miguel Azeez could be as good as any of the young Arsenal midfielders, but Arteta does not like him, why only God knows
bro stfu if you wanna talk about him not letting players play them what about Thomas partey and tomiyasu and martinelli
KreddyKall
0
Is Leo Messi a joke to you
Messi plays a mid for PSG and Mbappe is a forward that's extremely fast
HRamclamBze
1
Is Leo Messi a joke to you
Yes 😂
boydaza
0
Is Leo Messi a joke to you
2 goals
Joshwill1123
2
Is Leo Messi a joke to you
yuzcorstu
1
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 every minute of the game? but I have never seen psg scoring 90+ goals! what happens if he is able to score every minute of the game?
when he says he scores every minute of the game please know that it's a hyperbolic expression.
Habcilprsy
1
Arteta does not like Saliba , period. Maybe because his father is a Lebanese and his mother is from Cameron. Just saying, also Miguel Azeez could be as good as any of the young Arsenal midfielders, but Arteta does not like him, why only God knows
voselmnosu
0
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 every minute of the game? but I have never seen psg scoring 90+ goals! what happens if he is able to score every minute of the game?
come back home Saliba the great deffender
Brenden92
4
it's true mbappe could be a annoying opponent when he have a ball in your box you don't need to blink
Wombeinprs
2
clearly you don't understand simple English
what do u expect from a Chelsea fan bro?
Tusabckmtz
3
I need competition on my beloved team, give him a chance
Noora
3
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 every minute of the game? but I have never seen psg scoring 90+ goals! what happens if he is able to score every minute of the game?
clearly you don't understand simple English
sidddounited
3
French players r like English players very talented but very difficult to manage bc of too much publicity n early stardom
Keabdotyz
2
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 every minute of the game? but I have never seen psg scoring 90+ goals! what happens if he is able to score every minute of the game?