William Saliba battled with Jean-Philippe Mateta.placeholder image
William Saliba battled with Jean-Philippe Mateta. | Getty Images
Mikel Arteta took off centre-back William Saliba at half time in the 1-0 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon.
Arsenal finish the weekend on a high with another Premier League victory cementing their place at the top of the table. Crystal Palace were beaten 1-0 by the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium in a closely fought affair.
Eberechi Eze fired home an inventive volley in the first half and that proved the difference maker as he sank his former club. Arsenal are now four points clear at the summit of the Premier League, with rivals Liverpool languishing in sixth and seven points behind.
There continues to be plenty of reason for optimism around the Emirates Stadium but in among the celebrations this weekend was a potential fresh injury blow for the club. It comes at a poor time with Arsenal hosting Brighton in Carabao Cup action on Wednesday evening before travelling to Burnley next weekend.
Arteta explains Saliba substitution against Crystal Palace
Mikel Arteta, as usual, named William Saliba and Gabriel as his centre-back pairing of choice against Crystal Palace. The duo have formed a formidable partnership but, after the break, it was only Gabriel who returned to the pitch.
Saliba, who appeared to have completed the first 45 minutes without an issue, was replaced by summer signing Cristhian Mosquera. The unexpected substitution prompted immediate worry among Gunners supporters.
Speaking after the game, when asked about injuries, Arteta clarified: “William had to be out in the first half, Declan was also struggling with a knock the he took. So, let’s see.”
Saliba has only missed one match so far this season, sitting out of the 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest with an ankle injury. The defender had also been taken off at half time against Newcastle United last month.
That early substitution was due to a hamstring injury but the defender did not need time on the sidelines due to that niggle, returning to the starting XI for the next Premier League fixture against West Ham.
Martin Odegaard praises Arsenal centre-backs
Arteta would likely have rotated his squad against Brighton in midweek ahead of another Premier League clash with Burnley next weekend. Having Saliba fit and available will be a priority for Arsenal with two fixtures, against Slavia Prague and Sunderland, following the week after that.
Writing in his programme notes ahead of the game, captain Martin Odegaard lavished praise on the Arsenal defence, in particular Gabriel and Saliba. The midfielder wrote: “In the centre of defence, when you watch Big Gabi and Willo, you can tell how much they love defending! They’ve played together for a long time now and they’re really close away from the pitch.
“They know each other so well and you see that if one of them makes a mistake, then the other is there to fix it. They work so well together, but to be fair you see that across the team with lots of combinations and partnerships all over the pitch. The principles are really clear, the culture is really clear and that helps a lot.”
In other news, Arsenal Player Ratings: 'Bulldoggish' 9/10 but 5/10 'must step up' v Crystal Palace.
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