Martin Keown insists two Arsenal stars ‘earned their wages’ against Sevilla

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Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown was impressed by what he saw from Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba on Tuesday evening.

Arsenal needed to produce a solid defensive display to grind out a 2-1 Champions League win against Sevilla last night. Central defensive pairing Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba were at the heart of the Gunners’ shutdown operation.

Towards the end of the match, the Spanish side came on strong in search of an equaliser. However, Mikel Arteta’s side held firm. Takehiro Tomiyasu was particularly impressive at left-back, whilst Declan Rice also worked hard to keep the hosts at bay.

In the middle of it all, though, were Gabriel and Saliba. The duo have formed an impressive partnership in recent times and were excellent once again on Tuesday.

As ever, Saliba was excellent on the ball. The Frenchman is astonishingly composed in possession in pressurised situations, especially given the fact he is just 22-year-old.

Gabriel was a rock at the back. As per WhoScored statistics, the Brazilian made three clearances in the match. Both players dealt well with the barrage of crosses that Sevilla hurled into the Arsenal box late on in the match.

Martin Keown delighted by William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes display

Speaking on TNT Sports after the game, Martin Keown heaped praise on the duo. He said, “that resolve they showed, the two central defenders, they earned their wages too. They had to put everything on the line out there and were throwing their bodies in the way, so yeah, very satisfying.”

Arteta will know that he has two special centre-backs on his hands in Saliba and Gabriel. Is it vital for the north London club that both are able to maintain their fitness and form throughout the campaign as their partnership provides the platform that the rest of the team can build upon and flourish from.

Given their relative youth, and the fact that their best years presumably still lie ahead for both of them, Gabriel and Saliba could well forge an iconic Arsenal partnership that lasts for years.