How William Saliba has proved Arteta wrong at Marseille

How William Saliba has proved Arteta wrong at Marseille

By Ben Hart
William Saliba will have been an Arsenal player for three years in July, but fans are still yet to see him in first-team action.
The defender, now in his third spell away from the club, has been called up to the France national side for friendlies against the Ivory Coast and South Africa.
Although he was only called up in light of an injury to Benjamin Pavard, recognition by his country’s senior side is the latest positive development in the career of the ever-improving 21-year-old.
Mikel Arteta has professed since September 2020 that Saliba is very much in his plans: “He is going to be really important in our future and things sometimes take time.”
But with the player returning in the summer is this the chance for him to finally break into the Arsenal first team? How has he proved to Mikel Arteta that is the case during his time at Marseille?

Consistency

Saliba has amassed 3,595 minutes of action for Marseille this season across 40 matches in all competitions. To put those numbers in context, Arsenal centre-back Ben White has played just 2738.
Furthermore, at the same stage in his career White was playing for Newport County in League Two, whereas Saliba is readying for a European quarter-final when his Marseille side meet Greek outfit PAOK in the Europa Conference League next month. He is performing consistently in one of the top five European leagues.
But despite his recent international selection, the defender described his performances in February as “average.”
“Since February, I’ve been very average,” he told RMC Sport (translated by Sport Witness) at the beginning of March.
“There’s no need to hide. I know that I need to work, I’m a young player, but it’s no excuse. I’m going to give everything to get back to my good level.”
A willingness to hold one's hands up and admit when they have not been at their best is a trait Arteta admires in his players. A lack of humility was ultimately what cost Saliba’s Marseille teammate, Matteo Guendouzi, his Arsenal career, and Saliba, it seems, is comfortable holding himself to a higher standard – a rare trait in such a young player.
After all, Saliba would not have been selected by Didier Deschamps had his form not been so impressive. He may soon get the chance on the international stage to demonstrate to Arteta his continued evolution, which would be a fitting reward for his unwavering consistency.

Versatility

Marseille have principally lined up with two formations throughout the season, both of which Saliba has been a mainstay of.
For most of the first part of the season, the team lined up in a unique 3-2-4-1 formation, with Saliba as the right-sided centre-half.
This tactic showed off Saliba’s pace as he would often have vast amounts of space to cover whenever the winger on his side lost the ball further up the pitch. Then in possession, with no option outside him, this particular formation required Saliba to develop his forward and aggressive passing, another key component of an Arteta centre-half.
More recently, Jorge Sampaoli’s side have reverted to a more familiar back four. Depending on his centre-back partner, Saliba has operated on both the right and left side of the central pairing, showcasing his confidence playing off either foot.
Arteta may look to recruit a second left-sided centre-half in the summer to provide competition for Gabriel Magalhaes, with Pablo Mari expected to leave the club. But with Saliba adept at playing on both sides, and in a back three or four, he may feel that the fourth centre-back role can be filled by the versatile Saliba, freeing up funds to be spent elsewhere.

Patience

Saliba accepted that first team opportunities at Arsenal would be limited and so has knuckled down and fought for a first team place in France. Often players refuse to go on loan and instead choose to stay even when it’s clear they are not in the manager’s considerations. That maturity from Saliba will stand him in good stead.
He has shown he can play top-level football for three years, latterly with a side who are currently second in Ligue 1 and competing across multiple competitions.
Arteta will want to build his squad for next season with players used to the challenges of a packed schedule, and Saliba, with this season of European football, and now an international call-up under his belt, looks sure to provide quality competition to White and Gabriel.
If Saliba continues to develop at his current rate, that established pair may well be looking over their shoulder.
Photo Credit: Getty Images 

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