William Saliba has been one of the best players in the Premier League this season - and the 23-year-old Arsenal defender is a member of an elite club with two games to go
William Saliba is a member of an elite club in the Premier League this season – and the Arsenal defender is aware of just how exclusive it is.
Saliba has been a stalwart for Mikel Arteta this season, forming a rock-solid partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes in central defence. Together the duo have been key to the side keeping 17 clean sheets in the league – five more than the next best team Everton.
Arsenal are reaping the rewards of their patience with Saliba, who signed way back in 2019 for £27million but spent the following three seasons out on loan in France. Still only 23, he has established himself as one of the best young defenders in the world – and his consistency has been particularly impressive.
Heading into their final two matches, against Manchester United and Everton, Saliba has played every single minute of action in the Premier League in 2023/24. That adds up to a staggering 3,240 minutes, without even taking stoppage time into consideration.
Asked about the achievement, Saliba told the club website : “There was another one, a centre-back at Wolves, [Max] Kilman, who has played every minute. Of course, we know we’ve got a lot of games. I’m so proud to play every single game.
“I have good team-mates who cover me to keep clean sheets, and we’re an unbelievable team who can attack. We can defend, we can suffer. I think we are the best attack and the best defence.”
Saliba, who has been nominated for the Premier League young player of the year award, and Kilman are joined by fellow centre-backs James Tarkowski and Joachim Andersen in the club this season, while goalkeepers Bernd Leno, Jordan Pickford and Thomas Kaminski have also been ever-present for their teams.
Arsenal are still in contention for the Premier League title, but will need a favour from one of Manchester City ’s opponents to lift the trophy for the first time in 20 years. That’s because, although they are currently in second place, a point behind Arsenal, the defending champions have a game in hand.
The Gunners must win their remaining matches and hope City drop points to overhaul them on the final day of the season next weekend. First up, it’s United at Old Trafford on Sunday – a fixture Arsenal have lost on their last two visits to the stadium.
“We know it won’t be easy to win against them, so we have to be focused because they will be good against us,” Saliba said. “Last time we played them it was a tough game because they opened the scoring in the first half and, after we came back, in the second half it was 50/50.”
