Arsenal defender William Saliba was one of several standout players to feature against Real Madrid in a huge clash in the Champions League quarter-final.
As part of a huge occasion at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal beat Real Madrid 3-0, with goals courtesy of Declan Rice and Mikel Merino.
It gives the Gunners an extremely healthy lead heading to the Bernabeu for the second leg, with a spot in the Champions League up for grabs.
Perhaps just as important as the attack firing was the defence being at their best for much of the match.
While Gabriel Magalhaes is out injured, the pairing of Jakub Kiwior and William Saliba held up well to deny Real Madrid any chances.
Even though the latter has been linked with a possible move away from Arsenal to their rivals, he may well have hinted at his true feelings in the match.
William Saliba celebrations for Arsenal may hint at contract stay over Real Madrid
William Saliba has been heavily linked with a transfer to Real Madrid, with the defender earmarked as one of the best in the world in his position.
His impressive performances for Arsenal have gone a long way towards that, with plenty more years still ahead of him.
Saliba has just two years left on his contract at the club, leading to plenty of concerns surrounding his future.
However, in Arsenal’s win over Real Madrid, the centre-back may well have hinted towards his true feelings on both sides.
After both of Declan Rice’s free-kick goals, Saliba was seen wheeling off in celebratory scenes like few had ever seen before.
It showed perhaps where the defender’s true colours are, sitting with the North London club over Real Madrid.
Saliba has outlined his devotion to Arsenal before, but while his contract and transfer situation are up in the air, the doubts have continued.
Perhaps those concerns should be eased as the Frenchman shows he is Arsenal through and through.
William Saliba situation the opposite to Mikel Arteta celebrations with Man City
While many would’ve expected Saliba to celebrate regardless of those transfer links, that hasn’t always been the case for those in the past.
A prime example of that is Mikel Arteta, who never celebrated against Arsenal at Manchester City while he was the assistant manager.
Pep Guardiola revealed that fact himself when he said in 2023: “I know he [Arteta] went to his club [Arsenal], the team he dreams of.
“He’s a supporter, for the fact he played there, he was a captain there. He loves the club. I remember when we were together here when we scored goals he jumped a lot and celebrated except one team.
“One team every time we scored a goal, I jumped, look back, and he was sitting there. It was Arsenal. It was that moment I said that guy likes Arsenal.”
Arsenal will be hoping that Saliba’s celebrations in contrast are a clear sign of him staying for the future.
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