Former Arsenal midfielder says Gabriel and William Saliba are ‘not a perfect’ partnership despite high praise

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Arsenal’s defensive pairing of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes has been the driving force behind the Gunners’ rise.

Mikel Arteta has unearthed a partnership for the ages at the Emirates in Gabriel and Saliba, who have grown to be one of the best defensive duos in world football. 

The Frenchman and the Brazilian were first fused during the 2022/23 campaign, which marked the start of Arsenal’s claim to the Premier League title race. 

Since then, the Gunners haven’t looked back, with Arteta utilising the pair’s strengths to see Arsenal’s defensive stability rapidly improve.

• READ MORE: Three mistakes Mikel Arteta has made this season, including one which prompted Man Utd icon to slam Arsenal

Questions asked about Arsenal pair William Saliba and Gabriel

Still unbeaten in all competitions this season, there’s little to criticise Arsenal about so far in the 2024/25 calendar.

Arteta’s side have passed a host of challenges already this term, with Saliba and Gabriel being at the heart of the club’s strong start.

That being said, not everyone is wholly convinced at Arsenal’s defensive jewels, as journalist and former Arsenal midfielder Adrian Clarke explained.

Speaking on talkSPORT’s Inside Gooners segment, Clarke admitted he sees ‘one or two cracks’ in Arteta’s defence at present.

“I do think there are one or two cracks with Gabriel and Saliba defensively, just one or two,” Clarke explained before clarifying his statement.

“On this occasion [vs Southampton] Saliba switched off a bit, we saw Gabriel against Brighton, could he have done better for the goal? Absolutely.”

Gabriel and Saliba weren’t the only defenders to be placed under the spotlight, as Clarke also drew attention to Riccardo Calafiori’s approach at the back against Manchester City.

“We saw Calafiori dive in at the Etihad, it’s not a perfect defence, but I wouldn’t swap it for any other in the division.”

There’s always room for improvement, as Clarke alluded when assessing Arsenal’s start to the season defensively.

Arsenal can improve defensively

Despite only conceding six goals so far in the league this season, Arsenal have to address their pattern with conceding goals at the Emirates. 

Against Leicester City, Southampton and Brighton, the Gunners were unable to keep a clean sheet, leaking goals unnecessarily to put pressure on each fixture. 

• READ MORE: Former Tottenham star explains that Gabriel is better than Arsenal ace William Saliba for one reason

Fortunately, Arteta’s side came from behind to beat the Saints and secured a late win over the Foxes however, the thrills were not appreciated against newly-promoted opposition at home.

As Clarke explained, Saliba could have done better against Southampton, and Gabriel could have done the same against Brighton, proving that even the strongest part of the XI needs work.

It’s nothing that Arteta and his coaching team aren’t aware of, with the recent lapses in concentration at the back not expected to become a running theme.