Gary Neville has revealed what he’s noticed about Arsenal when William Saliba has had to come off or not start this season.
The Gunners sit pretty at the summit of the Premier League table, having now won seven of their nine games, conceding just three goals in the process.
Mikel Arteta’s side strolled to a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon, courtesy of an acrobatic finish from Eberechi Eze.
Meanwhile, Arsenal’s primary title rivals, Liverpool and Manchester City, both lost over the weekend, meaning the North Londoners are already in a commanding position in the race for silverware.
Gary Neville says there’s been no drop off in performance for Arsenal without William Saliba
William Saliba has missed nearly as much Premier League football this season as he did last year.
The Frenchman was absent for three league games last term, while he’s already sat on the bench twice from the start of matches this campaign.
Thankfully for Arteta, Arsenal signed Cristhian Mosquera for just £13 million over the summer. The Spaniard has been outstanding in his cameo appearances, while he’s also been exceptional when called upon from the beginning of games.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Gary Neville claimed that there hasn’t been a ‘drop’ in the Gunners’ performance levels when Mosquera has come into the side.
“They’ve got four fantastic full-backs and three excellent centre-backs,” he said.
“And Mosquera has come on again today, and they’ve not seen a drop in performance. So there are a lot of very good things going for Arsenal.”
Arsenal were unlucky not to secure a point away at Anfield with Mosquera on the pitch, while the 21-year-old started in wins over Athletic Club and Nottingham Forest.
He’s likely to be handed another run out when the Gunners entertain Brighton in the League Cup on Wednesday night.
Piero Hincapie can become a valuable eighth choice defender for Arsenal
Neville cited four excellent full-backs and three excellent centre-backs in his praise for Arsenal’s squad.
This excluded Piero Hincapie, who is yet to make his mark at the Emirates. Hincapie made his Premier League debut on Sunday, introduced in place of Riccardo Calafiori in the 82nd minute.
The Ecuadorian will likely start against Brighton, possibly alongside Mosquera at the heart of the Gunners’ defence. This will give him an opportunity to showcase his talents and stake a claim to feature more frequently in upcoming league matches.
More injuries are likely to materialise as the season progresses, and Arsenal will need Hincapie to contribute.
Arriving from Bayer Leverkusen with an impressive pedigree, he should be capable of becoming a prominent member of the Gunners’ team moving forward.
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