William Saliba was shown his first red card in his Arsenal career against Bournemouth on Saturday evening.
With William Saliba’s dismissal reducing Arsenal to ten men in the first half, Mikel Arteta’s side were ultimately overwhelmed by Bournemouth and fell to a 2-0 defeat, ending their unbeaten start to the new campaign.
Arsenal will now be without Saliba for their upcoming clash with Liverpool. The French centre-back will be a huge miss for the North London club.
Alongside Gabriel Magalhaes, the 23-year-old has forged an exceptional partnership in the heart of the Arsenal rearguard.
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Gabriel Magalhaes stands in solidarity with William Saliba
Saliba and Gabriel have been called the best centre-back pairing in the Premier League, and will have developed a close bond on and off the pitch.
Following the defeat against Bournemouth, Gabriel took to Instagram to share a picture of himself and Saliba on the pitch accompanied by a red heart emoji.
Gabriel and the rest of the Arsenal squad and staff will surely have consoled Saliba in the dressing room after his early exit.
Gabriel wore the captain’s armband for this match, and has clearly taken it upon himself as a leader to show support for his fellow defender.
How Arsenal will manage without Saliba vs Liverpool
A new partner will now need to be found for the Brazilian against the Reds.
Ben White or Riccardo Calafiori could shift into a centre-back role, vacating a full-back berth. Arteta is unlikely to turn to Jakub Kiwior, though, after the Poland international’s disastrous display against the Cherries.
The Gunners’ back line will need extra protection due to Saliba’s absence, meaning there will also be an onus on the likes of Declan Rice and Thomas Partey to remain vigilant in the middle of the park in their efforts to screen the Arsenal defence.
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