Garth Crooks compares ‘cool as ice’ Saliba with Arsenal legend Sol Campbell

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BBC Sport pundit Garth Crooks has given Arsenal defender William Saliba a rave review after his fine display against Manchester City.

Arsenal triumphed over Manchester City via a 1-0 scoreline at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday evening. The victory marked the Gunners’ first against this opponent since 2015, following twelve consecutive Premier League defeats in this fixture.

This win was build upon a foundation of solid defensive work. The entire Arsenal rearguard were excellent against City, but William Saliba stood out. The 22-year-old centre-back was faultless.

Mikel Arteta’s side restricted Manchester City to just four shots, of which only one was on target. Superstar striker Erling Haaland couldn’t muster a single effort in the entire match, largely because Saliba dealt with him so well.

The ten-cap France international was imperious throughout the match. He dominated the Manchester City attackers when they had the ball, and was supremely comfortable when in possession himself. According to WhoScored statistics, the £190,000-a-week ace successfully completed 98.6% of his passes. No other player who played the full match was as accurate.

Saliba set to be a superstar

Garth Crooks was certainly impressed by the young defender. Writing in his Team of the Week column, he said, “Saliba was as cool as ice and appeared to handle Erling Haaland without any trouble at all. I rate Saliba as highly as I rated Sol Campbell. The France international has the same kind of presence in defence as the former England man and is just as quick.”

Saliba has now proven that he can handle himself against the best in the game. Given his relative youth, and the fact he is improving at such a rapid rate, there is no telling just how high the £27 million former Saint-Etienne man can fly in the game. Arsenal will be delighted to have recently tied him down to a new long-term contract.

Arteta’s only concern regarding Saliba will be to do with his fitness. The Frenchman’s injury towards the end of last season coincided with the Gunners’ title charge falling apart. The north London club desperately need him to remain fit and available throughout the campaign. If he can do that, then Arsenal will be well-placed to actually get their hands on the trophy this time around.