Arsenal

William Saliba: Arsenal-owned defender shows Arteta what he's missing

The Nice centre-back has impressed since moving from Arsenal on loan - and again starred versus PSG

 
12:46pm on Sunday 14th February 2021
By
Carlo Garganese

Arsenal-owned defender William Saliba produced another good performance for Nice on Saturday evening during their Ligue 1 clash with Paris Saint-Germain.

Although Nice lost 2-1 to the French giants, Saliba more than held his own against PSG's star-studded attackers.

PSG v Nice: Player Ratings, Match Stats, Player Stats

It was the latest positive display from the teenager since his January loan move from Arsenal. Let's take a look at how he performed in detail.

📷 William Saliba: Match Snapshot

Saliba was the best-performing centre-back on the pitch, playing the entire game and earning a 6.8 FC rating.

He performed well both offensively and defensively. He won all of his tackles and aerial duels, as well as making four interceptions, three recoveries, two clearances and winning three duels in total.

Saliba's pace meant that Nice were able to push high up the pitch, without worrying about the pace of Kylian Mbappe, Moise Kean and PSG's other speedy attackers.

The 19-year-old boasted an impressive 92 per cent pass completion rate and only gave the ball away six times. Only Idrissa Gueye gave the ball away fewer times on the day.

〽️ Saliba: Rating Week-on-Week

✔️ IMPROVEMENT

Saliba has played consistently well since his January loan move from Arsenal.

He earned a 6.8 FC Rating on Saturday versus the best team in France.

This was a narrow improvement from his 6.7 FC Rating from the 3-1 midweek win at Nimes in the Coupe de France.

All his last six games for Nice have produced a FC Rating between 6.7 and 7.3. He has not dropped lower than 6.5 since his Nice debut on January 6, highlighting just how steady he has been since returning to France.

Saliba: What Next?

Saliba is on loan at Nice until the end of the season - and he has stated that his focus right now is purely on playing as well as he can until May.

His partnership with fellow January arrival - Jean-Clair Todibo from Barcelona - promises to be an excellent one.

Nice are next in action against Marseille in Ligue 1 on Wednesday, hoping to move up the table. They are currently in 14th position.

Looking further ahead, it remains to be seen whether Saliba has a future at Arsenal.

Saliba has been outspoken in his disappointment at how he was treated by Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and the lack of opportunities he was offered.

So far in 2021, Saliba has certainly shown Arteta that he had something to offer this season at the Emirates.

PSG v Nice: Player Ratings, Match Stats, Player Stats

Latest news

Southampton vs Preston North End Predicted Lineups: Likely XI for both teams 16/04/2024

Here are the predicted lineups for the English Championship match between Southampton and Preston on Tuesday, April 16th 2024.

  • 2 hours

Famalicao vs Sporting CP Predicted Lineups: Likely XI for both teams 16/04/2024

Here is our predicted lineups upcoming Primeira Liga match between Famalicao and Sporting CP on Tuesday, April 16th 2024.

  • 3 hours

Dortmund vs Atletico Madrid Predicted Lineups: Likely XI for both teams 16/04/2024

Here are the predicted lineups for the Champions League quarter-final match between Dortmund and Atletico on Tuesday, April 16th 2024.

  • 3 hours

Barcelona vs PSG TV Channel and UK Time: How to watch

Here is everything you need to know about the UK Time and TV Channel for the Barcelona vs PSG match on Tuesday, April 16th 2024.

  • 4 hours

Barcelona vs PSG Predicted Lineups: Likely XI for both teams 16/04/2024

Here are the predicted lineups for the Champions League quarter-final match between Barcelona and PSG on Tuesday, April 16th 2024.

  • 4 hours

Dortmund vs Atletico Madrid H2H: Head To Head Stats

Here is the Head to Head record for Dortmund vs Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League ahead of their second-leg tie.

  • 7 hours

Most read