William Saliba once again showcased his exceptional defensive abilities in Arsenal’s 5-0 victory against the MLS All-Stars.
In a crucial moment during the match, Jakub Kiwior lost the ball just outside his own box, putting the team in a potentially vulnerable position.
However, Saliba swiftly came to the rescue, displaying a moment of last-man defending that appeared effortless.
He covered a considerable amount of ground to effortlessly dispossess former Barcelona player Riqui Puig before skillfully dribbling past him and safely passing the ball out of danger.
Saliba’s calm and composed approach to the situation exemplifies why he is often compared to a “Rolls Royce” of a defender, possessing a complete skill set at just 22 years old.
His performance in the match further solidified his reputation as an outstanding defensive talent with a bright future ahead.
The clip went viral on Twitter overnight, with the caption being: “Ran out of words to describe William Saliba.”
Video: William Saliba effortless moment
Ran out of words to describe William Saliba pic.twitter.com/zc5ri9fHgD
— Asad🇵🇸 (@asxd_98) July 20, 2023
Arsenal fans were giving their centre-back high praise in the comments, with one fan saying: “Just another day at the office with William “the engine” Saliba.”
One fan thinks it’s clear as to why Arsenal didn’t win the league last season, stating: “We lost the league when Saliba got injured. It’s evident.”
William Saliba’s career so far
Since the 12th of March, in Arsenal’s dominant 3-0 win at Craven Cottage against Fulham, Saliba has not played in the Premier League.
It was after his injury during their subsequent match against Sporting Lisbon in the Europa League, where he was substituted within the first 20 minutes due to a back injury, that the wheels started falling off for Mikel Arteta’s side.
After signing for Arsenal back in 2019, he proceeded to spend three seasons out on loan in France, at Saint-Étienne, Nice, and Marseille.
His fantastic form last season had fans putting him in debates as the best centre-back in the league. One fan even thinks he will soon be the best in the world: “One man defense unit, soon to be regarded by the vast majority as the best CB in the world.”