“He looks so composed” – Rio Ferdinand snubs Arsenal’s William Saliba while picking best defender in the Premier League
Arsenal defender William Saliba delivered a superb display for his side as they picked up a first win over Manchester City in 13 attempts. Despite the Frenchman impressing in the game, Premier League legend Rio Ferdinand believes he is not the best defender in the league.
Ferdinand was speaking with Vibe with Five shortly after seeing Arsenal defeat rivals City at the Emirates Stadium. The Manchester United great revealed that he believes Manchester City defender John Stones is the best in the division.
Saliba gave Manchester City striker Erling Haaland a torrid time in their encounter, limiting the striker to no attempts on goal throughout the encounter. The French defender has received rave reviews for his performances for the Gunners since making his debut last season, earning him a World Cup place.
Manchester City's John Stones has been out of action for most of this season and only made an appearance off the bench against Arsenal. The Englishman replaced Rico Lewis after 68 minutes at the Emirates before seeing his side fall.
Rio Ferdinand spoke about his reason for picking Stones as the division's best defender, citing his composure as a strong point.
"John Stones is the best centre-half in the Premier League at the moment. Defensively he was going back into the back four," he said.
The Manchester United great also spoke about his impact last season on Manchester City's renaissance and his impact from the position.
"John Stones, no other centre-half in the Premier League did what John Stones did last season. He could be in the argument, he’s such a different player, he’s brought more to the position because he’s being asked to. John Stones right now he looks so composed with the authority he plays with," Ferdinand continued.
Stones adopted a hybrid role between defence and midfield to help get City over the line in the second half of last season.
Arsenal star Saliba was brilliant against Manchester City
William Saliba was immense for Arsenal against Manchester City, as he has been throughout this season. The 22-year-old recorded a 100 percent duel success rate as his side kept a clean sheet in the game.
Arsenal will rely heavily on Saliba if they are to successfully dethrone Manchester City this season. Their title challenge fell apart last season after the Frenchman picked up an injury in the closing stages of the campaign.
Many of the league's followers will disagree with Ferdinand's choice of John Stones ahead of Saliba, due to the Frenchman's impressive showings. He has grown immensely and is one of the most impressive centre-backs in Europe.