Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta breaks silence on heated bust-up between William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes during Leicester City win

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has ended concerns surrounding William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes' relationship following their heated bust-up after the win against Leicester City on February 25.

Gabriel Martinelli scored the only goal of the game to hand his team a crucial victory at the King Power Stadium. Arsenal retained their two-point lead over Manchester City, who have played one more game.

Despite a solid showing in defense, where they conceded no shots on target against Leicester, Gabriel and Saliba were reportedly involved in a heated exchange after the full-time whistle.

This would have naturally raised concerns among fans about the pair's relationship. Arteta has now given his verdict on the matter.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference ahead of Arsenal's league clash against Everton on March 1, the Spanish tactician said (h/t Fabrizio Romano):

Mikel Arteta: “Gabriel and Willy Saliba are a happy marriage, as you can see they are very passionate and also very demanding. Everything is fine”. ⚪️🔴 #AFC

No issue, no problems between the two players. https://t.co/yoMe6Zgn31

"Gabriel and Willy Saliba are a happy marriage, as you can see they are very passionate and also very demanding. Everything is fine."

The two have played alongside each other 26 times across competitions this campaign. Their solid defensive partnership is one of the major factors behind Arsenal having the second-best defense in the Premier League this term.

Only Newcastle United (15) have conceded fewer goals than the Gunners (23) this season. The Magpies, however, trail the north London giants by 16 points with a game in hand.

Mikel Arteta was happy with Arsenal star's performance win vs Leicester City

Gabriel Martinelli has registered nine goals and three assists for Arsenal in 32 games across competitions this term. Clearly, he is one of the first names on manager Mikel Arteta's team-sheet each week.

Official, completed. Gabriel Martinelli signs new deal until June 2027, there will be an option to extend for further season. ⚪️🔴✍🏻 #AFC

Edu: “It’s great that Gabi has signed a new contract with us. The foundations of our squad continue to be built on young talent”. https://t.co/CB1dnpKAK8

This is why it was a surprise for many when he was benched in his team's 4-2 win against Aston Villa on February 18. He came on for the last 22 minutes against the Villans and scored a goal.

Martine returned to the starting XI against Leicester City and made a telling contribution, courtesy of an assist from Leandro Trossard. Speaking of the Brazilian forward's performance against the Foxes, the former Manchester City assistant manager said (h/t Official club website):

"It was really important for him as well, sometimes you have to give someone a breather to come back with more enthusiasm and more energy, he contributed with a fantastic goal that gives us the win, and with his contract, delighted because we’ve been working for a while on that and we want to keep our best players with us, he committed to what we are doing as a club."

The 21-year-old extended his stay at the Emirates until the summer of 2027 earlier this month.