Even in the most heated debates about Unai Emery’s legacy at Arsenal in 2019, there is one point that is indisputable. William Saliba arrived that summer with a £27m price tag and a sterling reputation as one of the world’s most admired young centre-backs, but it would be another three years before he could break through for them. Emery was long gone, but it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Arsenal were transformed by Saliba’s departure from Saint-Étienne. The two will meet at Villa Park on Saturday and, contrary to most pre-season expectations, it will be a crucial clash between the title hopefuls.
This is another chance for Saliba and Arsenal, who are on a six-game winning streak in all competitions, to show they can stay on the same path this time. “We have the experience of last season, of course we are better,” he says. “Maybe we can get better.”
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Succeeding at the venue where Manchester City were deservedly beaten three days ago would strengthen the impression that they are capable. As the ashes of last season’s inevitable title challenge settle, it is easy to forget that Arsenal lost Saliba to a back injury in mid-March. Without him they took 18 points from their last 11 games, well below the level needed to get things done. He is now at the heart of a team that has experience of giving little away, at least until Luton shook them up with three goals on Tuesday.
There’s no point in claiming Arsenal don’t miss him. “Yes, of course, I miss them too,” he says. “It was difficult to get injured at this time of the season, but sometimes it happens. Now I’m back and stronger than before.
“He’s behind me now. It was very, very difficult to be injured, to watch my team play in these difficult moments and not be there. “We were so close, but now we have the chance to compete again and we will do it.”
The story of Saliba’s early years at Arsenal being a bit of a disappointment as he was sent out on three loans with varying success rates is well told by now. “Sometimes you have to learn from some bad experiences,” he says, and the idea that was once floating around that his long-term future might be away from the Emirates is now unlikely to go away. Saliba made almost no mistakes under Arteta; He hummed through games with an increasingly rare blend of timing, physicality and speed. He thoroughly praises the quality of strikers in the Premier League, but the truth is that almost no one has been able to beat him one-on-one.
He fits Arsenal like a glove and the same goes for his interest in North London life. Saliba is speaking at the Arsenal Hub, a year-round community center next door to the Emirates, where he helps with some of the club’s local projects. On the afternoon of his visit, he and teammate Emile Smith Rowe are working on an anti-bullying project with students from a school in nearby Tufnell Park; they are also attending a session with North London United, a football group for young people with Down syndrome. There is also a Q&A session with some BTEC coaching students.
The young and sympathetic face of the Arsenal squad is also reflected in their interactions with young people. “We were all young people, so it was nice to be with these kids,” says Saliba. “We enjoy it, we make them happy, so we are happy too. When I was growing up I didn’t have the chance to meet professional football players but now [a player]“If I can make little children happy, I will do it without hesitation.”
Saliba understands the meaning of being a role model. It just so happens that one of them, Virgil van Dijk, is a direct rival in what could turn out to be the most open title race of the last few years. “Not long ago I was watching a lot of videos of Van Dijk and now I’m playing in the same league,” he says. “I’m still very impressed by him, but I try to watch everyone, I try to learn from everyone, and one day [hope to] Be a model for others.”
Maybe he’s already there, and that’s a remarkable thought considering Saliba turns 23 in March. It is difficult to think of a defender in better form, but he believes his development is not yet complete. “I know I have a lot of work to do to improve my game, but I have the right squad and the right environment to improve myself,” he says. “That’s why I’ll give everything to be the best defender in the world one day.”
The logic is that if Saliba stays fit this time around, Arsenal will fight to the bitter end. Declan Rice has had a similar galvanizing effect since August; He has upgraded their midfield with steel, security and the lethal touch he showed at Kenilworth Road. “We hope he will continue like this and avoid injury because we need him,” Saliba said.
Counting wins, especially against teams like the resurgent Villa, would take Arsenal closer to victory, which seemed like a pipe dream when Emery brought Saliba to England. Their aims are clear and finally realistic. “To win the Premier League and go as far as possible in the Champions League,” he says. “We play to win everything. We don’t play just to be there to make up the numbers. We want to achieve that.”