Arsenal have had a particularly testing 2024/25 campaign thus far, with things not going quite to plan.
The Gunners have suffered greatly on the injury front throughout the season and to Mikel Arteta’s disbelief, things aren’t getting any easier.
After Gabriel Jesus was ruled out for the season, Arsenal’s only other striker option Kai Havertz sustained an injury that will see him sidelined until the summer also.
Despite hot and cold form and a mass of injuries, the Gunners remain well-poised in both the Premier League and the Champions League but, many have seen their belief in Arsenal take a hit.
Gary Lineker makes William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes claim
After finishing two points behind Manchester City in the Premier League title race last season, many believed that the Gunners would push even harder to complete their goal in 2024/25.
While Arsenal are not out of the race, they face an uphill battle with limited resources but, hope will not run out until May.
Aside from a wave of cruel injuries, Arteta is fortunate to have some of Europe’s best in his ranks, with Arsenal’s defence one of the best in the continent, all thanks to William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes.
The pair have kept the Gunners afloat many times since their emergence in 2022 but, recent form has forced one take on the duo to change.
Arsenal’s record without Saliba would tell you that he’s Arteta’s prized centre-back however, this season has seen Gabriel rise to be arguably better than his teammate.
Such was echoed by pundit Gary Lineker, who admitted that he’d choose Gabriel over Saliba due to one thing the Brazilian has been doing frequently this campaign.
“He [Gabriel] not only is a brilliant defender but he scores goals as well. Coming up on those corners, he’ll be nodding them in for fun,” Lineker said on The Rest Is Football podcast.
The debate started as Lineker, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards did a Premier League draft, seeing the former Tottenham ace select Gabriel as one of his centre-backs.
“It’s funny if you told me last season that I’d pick Gabriel over Saliba I’d have said no chance but actually I think if I had to have one in my team I’d have to go Gabriel you know.”
Arsenal fans won’t mind a debate regarding which of their defenders is better as it’s a problem every team would want to have.
Arsenal wary of William Saliba’s transfer interest
Gabriel’s gradual rise at the Emirates is something to behold, weathering the storm of an eighth and fifth-place finish before being a firm part of title-contending seasons.
That being said, it is Saliba who is extremely well thought of around Europe, mainly due to the fact that the Frenchman is four years his senior.
- READ MORE: Three William Saliba transfer replacements Arsenal can sign amid latest Real Madrid developments
Gabriel and Saliba’s partnership has been a blessing for Arteta and for Arsenal but, the Gunners will be wary that such could be broken in the near future due to transfer interest.
Real Madrid have Saliba high on their transfer list, making it clear that a summer move for the 23-year-old is a real possibility.
For now, fans will enjoy seeing the duo star alongside each other rather than picking a favourite, with the future of the pair uncertain.
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