[Video] Rio Ferdinand names Arsenal star as Premier League's best central defender, John Stones and Ruben Dias snubbed
Rio Ferdinand has snubbed Manchester City duo John Stones and Ruben Dias by naming Arsenal's William Saliba as the Premier League's best defender. The Premier League champions weren't the only ones the Manchester United legend disregarded.
GOAL gave Ferdinand the task of remaining quiet until the best defender in the English top-flight's name was called out. He was silenced while Manchester United duo Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire, and Tottenham Hotspur duo Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven were read out.
Newcastle United's Sven Botman, Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate, and Arsenal's Gabriel Magalhaes also left Ferdinand unfazed. The six-time Premier League champion spoke when Saliba's name was called.
You can watch Ferdinand make his selection below:
Saliba, 23, was a standout performer for the Gunners last season, continuing to form arguably the league's best defensive partnership with Gabriel. The French centre-back appeared in all 38 games, helping his side keep 18 clean sheets.
The 13-cap France international also chipped in with two goals and one assist. His brilliance wasn't enough to help Arsenal end their 20-year wait for Premier League glory.
City became the first team in English football history to win four titles on the bounce. Stones and Dias played significant roles in that feat and have long been regarded as two of Pep Guardiola's most important players.
Stones, 30, has displayed massive versatility in recent years, moving to and fro from defense to a holding midfield role. He made 16 appearances in the league last season due to injury issues.
Dias, 27, showed his defensive prowess during the season and continued to stake his claim as one of the best defenders in Europe. He appeared 30 times, helping his side keep 10 clean sheets.
Ruben Dias foreshadowed Manchester City's title triumph over Arsenal
The Cityzens fourth consecutive title triumph was perhaps their most impressive yet. They saw off not only Arsenal but also Liverpool in a three-horse title race that was statistically the closest fought in Premier League history.
Guardiola's men have years of experience in such situations and they got the job done once again. City finished the season with nine wins on the bounce which coincided with the Gunners and the Merseysiders capitulating.
Dias seemed to suggest City's know-how would come into play when speaking in early April. He told TNT Sports:
"We've been in these situations before and it's not easy to keep the consistency, especially in a time like this and the schedule as busy as ours will be. The will is there and we know what we're going for."
Arsenal were going strong until they collapsed in a 2-0 home loss to Aston Villa (April 14). The same can be said for Liverpool who couldn't finish Jurgen Klopp's reign off with the title, suffering a 1-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace (April 14) and a 2-0 away loss to Everton (April 24).