William Saliba was the star of the show as Arsenal beat local rivals Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates stadium on Saturday afternoon.
In what was a much anticipated North London derby, it was Arsenal who proved their title credentials after comfortably recording a 3-1 win over Antonio Conte’s side.
Mikel Arteta’s Gunners were on the front foot from the get go as they looked to continue their fine start to the 22/23 campaign.
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Thomas Partey’s stunning strike in the 20th minute gave the home side the lead. However, just 11 minutes later, Spurs were awarded a penalty after Richarlison was fouled inside the area by Gabriel.
Arsenal’s good work were undone as Harry Kane cooly dispatched the spot kick and the game was 1-1 at the break.
Just four minutes after the second half started, Gabriel Jesus nudged Arsenal back in front after some poor goalkeeping by Hugo Lloris.
Things then quickly went from bad to worse for Conte as Emerson Royal was shown a red card for a dangerous challenge, five minutes after the sending off, Granit Xhaka made it 3-1 and the game was beyond the reach of the visitors.
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Arsenal remain top of the Premier League on 21 points as a result of the victory.
Many players shined for Arsenal during the match but it was Saliba who produced a wonderful display at the heart of the Gunners defence.
The 21-year-old was signed from Saint Etienne back in 2019 but has been loaned to Nice and Marseille in the last two campaigns.
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This season however, he has proved his worth as he again produced an effortless defensive masterclass against some of the best attackers in world football. The likes of Kane and Son Heung Min were no match for the Frenchman.
Former Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas lauded Saliba’s display after the match.
He said on BT Sport: “The man of the match could have been several players.
“I would like to mention someone who was so good but no one has mentioned him because he made it look so easy - Saliba.”
The Spaniard added: “This boy was in France for three years and I have watched him very closely. I was tipped off three years ago by an Arsenal scout when I was playing St Etienne for Monaco about this boy who they were interested in signing.
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“That night, he was the best player on the pitch. He could be Arsenal's centre-back for the next 15-20 years now.”
Featured Image Credit: Twitter/@ArsenaICompsTopics: Arsenal, William Saliba, Tottenham Hotspur
