"Got manhandled" "Arteta was right all along" - 21-year-old Arsenal man gets ripped apart for his performance on international duty
Gunners fans were not impressed by the performance put in by Arsenal loanee William Saliba on international duty with France. The 21-year-old defender was seemingly at fault for the late winner conceded against Denmark.
France suffered a shock 2-1 defeat against Denmark during their opening game of the UEFA Nations League in Paris on Friday, 3 June. Karim Benzema gave the reigning world champions the lead, but Denmark scored twice through Andreas Cornelius to seal victory.
Cornelius' second goal was a fierce shot from an acute angle to score past Hugo Lloris with two minutes of regular time remaining. The Trabzonspor forward wrestled with Saliba for the ball, with the Arsenal loanee coming out second best.
Saliba was introduced as a second-half substitute in place of the injured Raphael Varane. However, Denmark scored twice after he came on.
Fans on Twitter targeted Saliba after France's 2-1 defeat. Here are some tweets in that regard:
William Saliba trending based on goals that weren’t even his fault and people still wonder why Mikel Arteta didn’t immediately bring him into the Emirates and Premier League microscope
France's defensive line for that goal was a shambles. Saliba played the offside trap perfectly and then had to do his best to make up for his teammates poor positioning
what happens when 4x champions league winner and world cup winner varane gets subbed off for saliba twitter.com/gffn/status/15…
Twitter is so odd regarding Saliba, it’s the weirdest treatment of a player I have ever seen, he has like a network of fans and people who are waiting for him to make a mistake… all before he’s kicked a ball for Arsenal
So Saliba just got muscled off the ball for Denmark’s potential winner. I worry about all the expectations on this poor boy when he arrives in the battle fields of England.
Saliba got man-HANDLED by Cornelius…. twitter.com/premiersportst…
Saliba entre et on encaisse 2 buts, alors je ne sous entends rien mais c'est assez bizarre
@TikiTakaConnor @TheAthleticUK Considering how Arteta was right all along with Saliba. I’ll back that decision 100% can only get better with consistent game time.
Arsenal signed Saliba in the summer of 2019 from Ligue 1 side Saint-Etienne for a fee of around £27 million. The French defender is yet to make a first-team appearance for the Gunners, though. Saliba has had three separate loan spells away from the Emirates Stadium.
Saliba first returned to Saint-Etienne on loan for the 2019-20 season before spending the 2020-21 season on loan at OGC Nice. Most recently, the 21-year-old defender was out on loan at Marseille, where his good form saw him make his international debut against Ivory Coast in March.
During the 2021-22 season, Saliba made 52 appearances for Marseille across competitions. The Frenchman has played 36 of 38 Ligue 1 matches this season.
What are Arsenal's defensive options for 2022-23 season?
Arsenal spent around £50 million to sign Ben White from Brighton & Hove Albion last summer. Since his move, White has become an integral member of Arsenal's defence alongside Gabriel Magalhaes.
However, apart from the two aforementioned centre-backs, the Gunners lack a proper backup as they prepare to compete in the UEFA Europa League next season. The only other player capable of playing centre-back naturally is Rob Holding, who has had a difficult time at the Emirates Stadium.
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Saliba would be a welcome addition to the Gunners squad for the 2022-23 season if Arteta keeps him in the squad. There have been rumours linking the defender with a permanent move away from the Gunners, though.
The 21-year-old defender has a contract at the club until the summer of 2024.