The storylines continue surrounding Arsenal’s rapid rise to Premier League title challengers under young manager and former Gunners midfielder Mikel Arteta during the 2022-23 campaign.
Ahead of schedule amid a well-documented process in north London aimed at sustainable progress on and off the pitch billed as being capable of once again molding the club into a domestic powerhouse at the very least, Arsenal continues to set the pace a the summit of England’s highest competitive level of club football and go into the weekend still two points clear of champions Manchester City with a match in hand over Pep Guardiola’s men.
At its core, the Gunners boast the league’s youngest squad while dispelling the notion that youthful exuberance cannot withstand the rigors of challenging for major honors in a league many view as the best anywhere in the world. One of those bright stars is 21-year-old French international center-back, William Saliba.
But for the Bondy-born defender, his pathway to prominence at the Emirates – much like Arteta’s managerial tenure – was a slow burn that only now has begun to bear fruit. After three successful loan stints in Ligue 1 with AS Saint-Étienne, OGC Nice, and Olympique de Marseille, Saliba recreated his heralded performances in France’s top flight and has translated them to the English game expertly while often being considered one of the club’s top influencers on the pitch for large parts of the 2022-23 season.
William Saliba: “I want to win everything possible here at Arsenal — and to put the club back on the very top. I want to win every title” ⚪️🔴 #AFC
“Since first time fans sang my chant, I’m always happy. I can’t smile in the game because I have to be focused! I love it so much”. pic.twitter.com/gN36mKYU9y
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 24, 2023
For Saliba, there are many reasons why he has relished his chances with his boyhood club this season, opening up to the club’s official website in the buildup to Arsenal’s weekend clash away at Leicester City.
“It helped me a lot [his loan spells] because when you are a young player you have to play to improve, so that’s why I took the chance to improve, make mistakes and grow up as well. It was a good experience for me, and I came back better. I didn’t play one single game here so I always thought about that. I couldn’t leave this amazing club without playing so I always had it in my head to come back and play.”
And with the club’s current trajectory showing a collision course with its first Premier League title in 20 years has in no small part been influenced immeasurably by Mikel Arteta and the camaraderie that exists among the senior squad are undeniable factors that have led to such success this season.
“What you see on the pitch is the same inside the training ground. He loves his job and he gives us that feeling, and it’s good to have a coach like that. Before the game, he always talks well and when you get on the pitch, you want to do well because the way he speaks makes you want to fight.”
“We have a young team but we have a lot of leaders. Everyone can speak and if you do something bad, every player can tell you. It’s good to have a team like that – everyone understands and can talk.”
“When we celebrate some goals, you can see that the team is so close, we are all friends and we are so happy to do everything together, so we have to keep going like that. We have a good mentality; even when we had some moments where we drew or lost, we kept believing and remained positive, and that’s why we won on Saturday.”
With Leicester to come in just over twelve hours and another chance for Arsenal to prove that their title challenge is hardly a fluke, count on William Saliba to continue to prove himself like he so often has across a budding young career destined for big things.
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