Rio Ferdinand has snubbed Arsenal ace William Saliba as the best centre-back in the Premier League for John Stones as no defender can match the Manchester City man.
Stones astounds Ferdinand with everything that the 29-year-old produces at Etihad Stadium under Pep Guardiola across recent seasons. So much so that Ferdinand believes it is an easy decision to pick the England enforcer over Saliba when naming the Premier League’s best.
It is also not down to Stones helping Manchester City win the European treble last term that Ferdinand favours him. The Barnsley native further added to his trophy cabinet to boast five top-flight titles, a Champions League, two FA Cups and four EFL Cups with City since 2016.
Saliba and Stones are both key to Arsenal and Manchester City
Saliba finally establishing his presence under Mikel Arteta last season helped Arsenal to rival Manchester City for the Premier League. The 22-year-old brought new grit to the Spaniard’s side and rarely put a foot wrong. But his back injury helped to end the Gunners’ title dream.
Arteta has relished seeing Saliba’s importance return to the fore with his return this season, as well. The Frenchman’s pace, physicality and awareness give the Gunners a firm platform to play from. Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes also silenced Erling Haaland at Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal are now waiting patiently for updates to ease fears about Saliba’s toe injury. The 10-cap enforcer has withdrawn from representing France this month after playing through any pain against Manchester City. Saliba has managed the issue with his big toe for some time.
Ferdinand explains why Stones is the better defender than Saliba
Yet despite Saliba’s importance to Arsenal, Ferdinand believes that Manchester City’s Stones is the best centre-back in the Premier League. Even though Guardiola used the defender in a hybrid role between playing as a defensive midfielder and a right-back throughout last term.
“Stones is the best centre-back in the Premier League at the moment,” Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel. “Yeah, [he is better than Saliba]. It’s not even that he’s won the treble. He was coming from defensive midfield. Defensively, he was going back into the back four.
“John Stones, no other centre-back in the league does what John Stones did last season. It’s hard on him because he’s such a different player [to Vincent Kompany]. He’s brought more to the position because he’s being asked to.
“If you’re going to say 1v1 defender, we’re on the halfway line, who’s the better defender? Kompany. But then there’s the other side of the game, you’d go John Stones all day long. So, it’s difficult to judge. But John Stones looks so composed with the authority he plays with.”
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