Arsenal will be without centre-back William Saliba for Liverpool’s upcoming visit to the Emirates.
On match day nine, a blockbuster Premier League fixture will unfold at the Emirates, as Arsenal host Liverpool in a significant fixture in the title race.
Mikel Arteta cannot afford to lose more ground on Manchester City and Liverpool, being three points behind Pep Guardiola and four behind Arne Slot at this moment.
Dropping points is not optional but a win will not be easy to achieve, as Arteta is set to be without a host of key players.
Arsenal’s record without William Saliba
Out of the players expected to be missing, very few bring more concern than the prospect of playing Liverpool without Saliba.
The Frenchman picked up a controversial red card against Bournemouth, earning a one-match ban due to denying a goalscoring opportunity.
Arsenal decided not to contest Saliba’s red card, which the club might regret when revising their record without the 23-year-old at the heart of the defence.
Premier League data recalled Arsenal’s struggles without the France international during the 2022/23 campaign, with his injury arguably costing the Gunners the title.
| With Saliba | Without Saliba | |
| Matches | 73 | 11 |
| Points per match | 2.4 | 1.6 |
| Goals conceded per match | 0.9 | 1.6 |
| Average xG against | 1.0 | 1.4 |
As you can see from the table above, Saliba’s absence automatically puts Liverpool at a subtle advantage, with Arsenal struggling to maintain form without their prized centre-back.
Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes have formed quite the partnership since first fusing together during the 2022/23 season, with it now up to another figure to partner the Brazilian and fill the void.
Who can replace Saliba against Liverpool?
With a fully fit squad, there would be less of a concern regarding who could replace Saliba; however, Arteta is facing a terrifying prospect due to injury.
Both Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori are qualified to play at centre-back but, whether the duo will be fit to face Liverpool is a different question.
Calafiori is expected to miss a number of weeks after suffering a nasty knee injury against Shakhtar Donetsk, whereas Timber’s availability is set to be a late call in the days leading up to the match.
In the instance that both players were unavailable, Arteta could be forced to field a back four consisting of Oleksandr Zinchenko, Gabriel, Jakub Kiwior and Ben White, which would be two players from ideal.
It’s a race against time to see who Arteta has at his disposal to face the Reds, with Saliba’s replacement having a sizeable void to fill.
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