"Completely pocketed Haaland", "Best in the league" - Arsenal fans in awe of 'Rolls Royce' defender for his colossal display against Man City

Arsenal fans have hailed France defender William Saliba for his exceptional display in the Gunners' FA Community Shield victory against Manchester City. The 22-year-old center-back was one of the stand-out performers for Mikel Arteta's side as they went on to clinch their first available trophy for the 2023-24 season.

The game ended 1-1 in regular time, with Cole Palmer putting City in front in the 77th minute with an exquisite strike from the edge of the box.

Substitute Leandro Trossard equalized deep into stoppage, taking the game into penalties for the Gunners. Arteta's men then went on to seal a 4-1 penalty shoot-out victory over Pep Gurdiola's side. It was also Arsenal's first win over City in three years.

Meanwhile, man-of-the-match Saliba has earned a lot of praise from Arsenal fans following his performance in the FA Community Shield victory. The Frenchman played a crucial role in keeping out a very lively and lethal City attack throughout the game. He played the full 90 minutes, completing four clearances, two tackles, 71 accurate passes, and winning four ground duels.

Most importantly, Saliba marshaled City's striker Erling Haaland during the encounter. The Norway international found it difficult to make any impact whatsoever during his time on the pitch till he was subbed off for Palmer in the 64th minute.

Reacting to Saliba's brilliance, a couple of fans were quick to tweet about their delight in the player's performance. One fan labeled the Frenchman as a 'Rolls Royce Defender.'

Completely pocketed Haaland today. Rolls Royce Defender 🤌 pic.twitter.com/OPLLAGs1Vs

"Completely pocketed Haaland today. Rolls Royce Defender."

Another fan tweeted:

"A monster. A colossal. The best in the league. William Saliba."🇫🇷

Check out other tweets about Saliba currently trending online:

@EduardoHagn Guy is built different! 🧊🥶❄️⚪🔴🏆 pic.twitter.com/YwGUk2RdXo

@EduardoHagn It's not talked about much.. Saliba is a beast though there's still doubt hanging over Gabriel.

@EduardoHagn Best center back in the world

A monster. A colossal. The best in the league. William Saliba. 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/1gwjtAMw11

Saliba made a combined total of 33 appearances for the Gunners last season. He also helped the north London club register 13 clean sheets across all competitions, while also scoring three goals in the process.

Mikel Arteta wins 3rd trophy with Arsenal

Gunners manager has delivered another trophy for Arsenal, as his team beat reigning PL champions Manchester City at Wembley to clinch the FA Community Shield.

The victory now makes it the second time that Arteta will be winning the FA Community Shield since taking up the role as Gunners manager. It will also be his third overall trophy at the Emirates, after winning the FA Cup title in his first season in 2020. In total, Arteta has managed Arsenal in 180 matches, winning 106 of them, losing 47, and drawing 27.

Arteta will be hoping that their recent success at Wembley will be a huge morale booster as they aim to mount yet another PL title challenge next season. His side were close to winning the 2022-23 PL title but capitulated in the later stages of the campaign. Manchester City eventually went on to beat Arsenal to the title last season.