One Arsenal star has now opened up about how his on-field connection with one of his teammates has improved this season.
There are a number of effective partnerships in this Arsenal team.
Ben White and Bukayo Saka regularly combine well on the right flank, whilst Jorginho and Declan Rice have formed an effective double pivot in the middle of the park. On top of that, Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard have been able to dovetail successfully in the final third before.
The most established, and important, partnership in the Arsenal team, though, is that shared by Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba. The centre-back duo have been at the heart of the North London club’s defensive solidity this season.
Mikel Arteta‘s boast the best defensive record in the top flight of English football this season. With 33 games played, Arsenal have only seen their net breached on 26 occasions. No other side in the division has conceded fewer goals. Arsenal have kept six successive Premier League clean sheets in matches away from home.
Gabriel Magalhaes opens up about partnership with William Saliba at Arsenal
Saliba and Gabriel have been described as the best centre-back partnership in the Premier League. This is a well-deserved accolade, as their form has been imperious, and their attributes complement one another perfectly. The £190,000-a-week Frenchman’s composure and technical prowess, paired with Gabriel’s physicality and aggression, all serve to make the duo an intimidating proposition for opposition forwards to come up against.
Gabriel has now provided an insight into how his connection with Saliba has evolved this season. Speaking to TNT Sports, the 26-year-old said, “last season it was our first one together. Already it was good, we understand each other very well on the pitch.
“This year I was sure that if we have people together it will go better, because we work a lot, we talk a lot, so that helps us. I think that this year, we also have a lot of confidence. We each have confidence in each other, confidence in any player that plays. So that’s good for us.”
How important are Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba to Arsenal?
The loss of Saliba to injury late on last season sparked the collapse of Arsenal’s title push. It is vital that both centre-backs are able to remain fit and firing on all cylinders for the remainder of the current campaign.
Whilst Saliba often hits the headlines, and is more likely to catch the eye due to his remarkably composed style of play, Gabriel has improved hugely in his own right this season. The £27 million Brazil international has cut errors out of his game and has raised his technical level on the ball. Gabriel was recently described as the most underrated player in the Arsenal squad.