Saliba has been crucial to Arsenal’s right side’s offensive potency and providing valuable defensive cover behind Ben White. His distribution has helped Saka and Odegaard excel to the point where they are both contenders for Player of the Year. Their poor performance during Saliba’s absence is not accidental. Without him, they are not getting similar assistance, the painstakingly arranged examples of play – a large number of what starts with Saliba – tossed messed up by the workforce adjustment.
Saliba has been crucial to Arsenal’s right side’s offensive potency.
Holding had difficulty keeping up with Michail Antonio’s speed and physicality. Antonio’s runs in behind caused problems that Saliba, a player who excels on both fronts, is good at solving. When he hacked Antonio down on the edge of his box in 19 minutes, he was fortunate not to receive a yellow card. The incident set the tone for an individual battle with a clear winner. Eventually, the game ended up being the fourth in succession in which the Weapons store has neglected to keep a perfect sheet since Saliba’s physical issue. However, Holding has generally defended well. The gap between the 27-year-old and the player he is replacing is more expansive when it comes to possession than when it is out of it, and Arsenal has had the most trouble there in the last two games.
