Former Arsenal player and pundit Martin Keown have praised William Saliba for his impressive performance in Arsenal’s 2-2 draw with Sporting in the Europa League on Thursday. Saliba, who opened the scoring for the Gunners with a fine header in the 22nd minute, has been developing into a “proper central defender” and is “growing in stature,” according to Keown.
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Saliba was signed by Arsenal three years ago but went out on loan for three seasons before finally returning to the club this season. Despite his lack of playing time in the Premier League, Saliba has made a significant impact in the Europa League and has impressed Keown with his composure, strength, and pace.
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Keown also highlighted Saliba’s hunger and his willingness to take responsibility on the pitch, which has made him an important player for Mikel Arteta’s side. Keown believes that Saliba’s partnership with Gabriel is proving to be a strong defensive pairing, and he thinks that Saliba is currently ahead of Gabriel in terms of performance.
Although Arsenal was unable to secure a win in the first leg of their European tie with Sporting, Keown feels that a draw was a fair result and believes that Arsenal will be looking to progress to the quarter-finals of the Europa League in front of their home fans at the Emirates Stadium next week.
