William Saliba celebrates with Arsenal teammates at Fulham.placeholder image
William Saliba celebrates with Arsenal teammates at Fulham. | Getty Images
The Gunners defender took no time to switch to preparing for Arsenal's Champions League clash wit Atletico Madrid this week.
Arsenal had to grind out a 1-0 result against Fulham on Saturday evening but it was another three points that felt like a milestone for the north London club in the charge for the Premier League title.
Craven Cottage had become somewhat of a bogey ground for Mikel Arteta in recent seasons and a site of dropped points. However, just as Arsenal rid themselves of recent St James’ Park pain against Newcastle United, they ended that run with victory over Fulham thanks to a Leandro Trossard goal.
It was another clean sheet for Arsenal with the club now having conceded just three goals so far this season. Manchester City and Sunderland hold the next best record, but it’s double the Gunners’ three at six.
Arsenal defender proves elite mentality after Fulham match
Arteta has built a defence that is feared on the pitch and, in an image circulated after the win over Fulham, extremely diligent off of it too. ESPN shared a snap of centre-back William Saliba on the team bus watching Atletico Madrid beat Osasuna following the Premier League match.
Arsenal face the La Liga giants on Tuesday night and the players are clearly going above and beyond in their preparations. It’s something that should have Gunners fans purring - Arteta has built a ruthless machine.
Speaking about his side’s mentality after the game, Arteta said: “I’m really pleased. We experienced in the last two seasons how difficult it is to win here, and we have experienced it today again. I love the mindset of the team.
“We didn't start in the best way, with some giveaways that provoked certain momentum for them, with some defending organisation moments, but after that the team started to build momentum, to be very dominant throughout the game.
“And it was about keeping consistent, You have to be very patient against this team. They are really well organised, they know how to adjust things, and they are very solid. We tried in different ways, we could have scored much earlier than we did, but at the end we found a way to do it through a set-piece after waiting a lot.”
‘World class’ Saliba and Gabriel praised by Marco Silva
Saliba has formed a centre-back partnership with Gabriel that is revered across world football. Prior to taking on Arsenal, Fulham boss Marco Silva hailed that bond as world class.
He said: “They have improved their depth. They are a very, very strong squad. It’s not a surprise to see how solid they are, they have one of the best centre-back partnerships in the Premier League and Europe.”
Saliba and Gabriel must now prepare to keep Antoine Griezmann and Julian Alvarez quiet on Tuesday night but, clearly, they are taking every measure to make sure that happens.
In other news, Arsenal 'battle' Brighton and Brentford for Ligue 2 striker in January transfer window.
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