Arsenal and one of their key players have received a glowing verdict, and from one of their potential Premier League title rivals. It has been a tough few weeks for the Gunners, who currently sit third in the Premier League table, five points behind Manchester City and four points behind second placed Liverpool.
Mikel Arteta’s men need to get back into the thick of the title race, but it is true that their fixture hasn’t been overly kind in that they have already played City and Liverpool, among other strong sides like Aston Villa, so they will be remaining calm with the belief that things will even out over the coming weeks.
“Obviously, Saliba is making very good steps at the moment,” the Reds defender told Rio Ferdinand on his YouTube channel. “He’s the first one I have in mind right now. You know, he’s a solid one. I think in possession he’s doing a good job.
“You know, I think if I’m honest, when I was that age, I was nowhere near where he is today. And obviously that’s the beauty of football as well. You know, I like to watch other defenders and pick up so many stuff from them. There are so many good ballplayers. You can always pick up certain things.”
Van Dijk was also asked which of the Premier League sides are the most difficult to face, and he named Arsenal as one of them. “I would say Man City and Arsenal,” he added. “It’s always tough against them,’ the Netherlands international added. ‘You know if you’re not focused for a second or slip up, you can get punished immediately. That’s the beauty of the Premier League, you’re playing against top strikers week in, week out.”
Gabriel and Saliba are Arsenal’s foundation
Centre-backs Gabriel and Saliba remain the foundation of Arsenal’s title bid, still among the best performers in Arteta’s squad even if the back-line has not performed particularly well over the last couple of weeks.
Speaking about the pair’s quality back in September, Arteta said: “We believed that Saliba and Gabriel could be really good… but their level now is something incredible, unbelievable. That togetherness and chemistry is unique and really good. I’m proud of Gabriel and Saliba, I really am.”
