“I must give him his flowers for the wonderful display against City last night, he was very very brilliant”- Arsenal Captain Martin Ødegaard was quick to give his flowers to sensational Arsenal star who won 100% duels against Man City last night.
“I must give him his flowers for the wonderful display against City last night, he was very very brilliant”- Arsenal Captain Martin Ødegaard was quick to give his flowers to sensational Arsenal star who won 100% duels against Man City last night.
MARTIN ODEGAARD PRAISES WILLIAM SALIBA AFTER DRAW AGAINST MAN CITY
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard praised defender William Saliba after the goalless draw with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League.
The Gunners went into the game as underdogs and many had predicted they would lose to Pep Guardiola’s side. However, they rose to the occasion with a hard-fought draw.
The Cityzens were limited to just a single attempt on goal. The defence had a big role to play in the goalless stalemate. Saliba was undoubtedly the standout performer.
The Frenchman won 100 per cent of his duels on the ground. He made eight receptions, five clearances and also won five tackles against City. Saliba was impressive both on and off the ball.
After the game, Odegaard was quick to praise the centre-back, saying: “Any team in the world would miss Saliba, we’re lucky to have him – glad he’s fit, brilliant performance and a brilliant player.”
Saliba missed the start of last season due to a back problem. That contributed to the club’s decline as they dropped points in six of the last 10 games of the league season.
This time, the 23-year-old is fully fit and ready to play. He and Gabriel Magalhaes have formed one of the best central defences in Europe and have regularly kept clean sheets.
The pair will aim to continue their excellent form in the coming weeks as the Gunners try to keep pace with Liverpool and City in the hunt for the Premier League title.
The club also has a Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich to look forward to. They should be optimistic about progressing with their solid back line.
Statistics from Fotmob.com & Sofascore.com