"They ain't ready" – Arsenal defender William Saliba sends 3-word message to Chelsea star after 2-0 loss to Manchester City
Arsenal centre-back William Saliba sent a positive message to Wesley Fofana following Chelsea's recent 2-0 league loss to Manchester City.
Earlier this Sunday (August 18), the Blues crashed to a defeat in their first match of the 2024-25 Premier League campaign. Fofana started his first league match for the Blues in close to 15 months and ended the encounter having completed 49 of 56 passes at Stamford Bridge.
After the end of the clash, Fofana posted on his Instagram account:
"Tough loss last night, but we keep our heads up and continue to fight. Football is about resilience and learning from each challenge. We'll come back stronger. Thank you to all the fans for your unwavering support. 💙"
Saliba, who is Fofana's former Saint-Etienne teammate, commented:
"They ain't ready 🔥"
Fofana, who left Saint-Etienne to join Leicester City in 2020, shared the pitch with the Arsenal star 12 times while representing the French side.
Since arriving from Leicester in a potential £75 million switch in 2022, Fofana has scored two goals in 21 overall appearances for Chelsea.
Saliba, on the other hand, helped his current club register a 2-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers in their 2024-25 league opening tie.
Arsenal great asserts Gunners should have signed 24-year-old Chelsea summer arrival
Speaking on Sky Sports, Arsenal legend Paul Merson backed Chelsea summer arrival Pedro Neto to do well this season. He said (h/t Metro):
"If Chelsea can keep him fit, I think [he would prove to be] an incredible signing. If you want to play a certain way of football, similar to Manchester City and Arsenal, where they play two wide players and get the ball out... this is what [the Blues] need to do."
Merson, who helped the Gunners lift two top-flight titles, concluded:
"If you can get Neto on the pitch, he is top draw. I think Arsenal missed a trick with him. If he [went there], he [would have shared] the workload [with Bukayo] Saka and [Gabriel] Martinelli. Chelsea were shrewd, they did it very quickly and very quietly. Good signing."
Neto, who has been handed the number 19 jersey at the Blues, could emerge as a regular starter for Enzo Maresca's outfit. He is expected to face healthy competition from Mykhailo Mudryk and Noni Madueke.
The 24-year-old, who recently penned a club contract until June 2031, left Wolverhampton Wanderers in a potential £54 million transfer. He scored 14 goals and registered 24 assists in 135 matches for Wolves.