Who holds the key to Arsenal’s title bid? Every Gooner will undoubtedly have his preference in this matter. You could ask five Gooners and get five different responses. However, in response to the same question, Ally McCoist believes Arsenal defenders Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba are vital to the club’s title charge. He pointed out on talkSPORT: “It’s a funny one, I hear what you’re saying about Odegaard and Saka and boys like that.
“I actually think with Arsenal, you don’t want to lose one of the centre-backs again.”
I almost disagreed with the Rangers legend’s statements, but after recalling how Arsenal’s title hopes crumbled after William Saliba missed the final few months of the season, I couldn’t. Arsenal were shambolic at the conclusion of the season because the Frenchman was irreplaceable.
Sir Alex Ferguson famously claimed that attack wins games, but defence wins titles. And if Arsenal win the league this season, they will only be justifying that observation.
The Gunners’ strongest position has clearly been on the defensive side of the game. Saliba has continued to soar, and Gabriel appears to have been reborn; he does not make rash decisions, but rather ones that are thoroughly thought out.
Because of their excellent defensive players, the Gunners have conceded the fewest goals (23) in the league, have the most clean sheets (10), and have, as per fbref, faced the fewest shots on target, 59 shots (Man City, the next team has faced 75). Isn’t this incredible?
Some of us want to praise one of Gabriel or Saliba, but they, as a team, have actually laid the groundwork for the success this Arsenal team is experiencing. If there are two players that shouldn’t be injured between now and the end of the season, it is Gabriel and Saliba; they are key to Arsenal’s game plan this season, although it is now looking likely that Kiwior could be readymade replacement if the worst happens.
At one time, it was feared that Arsenal’s attack would cost them the league crown, but Arteta has shown that he could find new ways for his team to score goals; so we cannot name any of our forwards as being irreplaceable, can we? Arsenal are definitely flying even without a natural striker.
There are probably some fans that would say that the London Player of the Year Declan Rice is our mainstay in midfeld, but is he more vital than, say, William Saliba for the title run-in?
So if you were forced to pick just one Arsenal player that is irreplaceable in our race for the title, who would you choose?
Darren N
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