"I’ve been really impressed with them" - PL manager heaps praises on Arsenal duo, lauds them for their 'magnificent' showing against Man City
Luton Town manager Rob Edwards has heaped praise on Arsenal center-backs William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes following their impressive performance against Manchester City on March 31. The Gunners held City to a goalless draw at the Etihad Stadium.
The pair did a great job in keeping Erling Haaland quiet as they have now successfully shut City out for two Premier League games this season. Saliba and Gabriel have helped the Gunners maintain their second place in the table, alongside boasting the best defensive record in the division (26 GA).
Now, with Arsenal set to host Luton at the Emirates Stadium on April 3, Rob Edwards was asked a few questions about them in his pre-match press conference. A former central defender himself, Edwards offered some insights on Gabriel and Saliba's partnership. He also praised them for their collective performance against Manchester City.
Edwards said:
"I've been really impressed with them. They've got everything, haven't they? They've got physicality, speed, power, but they're very well coached and obviously they understand the game.
"They've got such power and athleticism and they're a big reason why they suffocate teams as well. They can lock on and be really aggressive and compete in any which way.
"If you want a fight, they have a physical battle and also they can play as well so they tick pretty much every single box and they were clearly magnificent at the weekend."
Saliba has made a total of 39 appearances this season and has started in each of Arsenal's 29 Premier League games so far. Gabriel has made 39 appearances in total as well but has featured in 27 league games for the club.
The Gunners have kept the highest 12 clean sheets in the league this season and conceded the least 24 goals.
Mikel Arteta gives cheeky response about Arsenal's progress
When Mikel Arteta first arrived as Arsenal manager in 2019, he had laid out a few expectations and goals for the club in the long run. Part of that was a famous five-step plan which the Spaniard claimed would lead the Gunners back to being competitive on multiple fronts.
Arteta was recently asked for an update on the aforementioned plan by a journalist in his press conference prior to facing Luton. However, he had a cheeky response.
Reporter: "Are you in Phase 4 now?"
Arteta: "Let me go back to the computer! We're not far, I think. Getting close to that. But then you're gonna have to start in Phase 1 again because you're gonna have to continue to build and continue to evolve."
Reporter: "Okay, can you explain Phases 1 through 3?"
Arteta: "No, no, no, no!"
The Gunners finished second in the Premier League last season with 84 points from 38 games. They are currently second this season and have racked up 65 points from 29 games so far.