Saliba has won more points per game in the Premier League than any other Arsenal player in the competition’s history. Of those to have made at least 10 appearances, the 22-year-old sits at the top of the list with an average of 2.44 points per match.
He is indispensable in this Arsenal side, not that Arteta needs telling. He said of Saliba this week: “When you look how he’s developing, his role in the team, the level and consistency he’s shown in the last year or so, it’s remarkable.
“I don’t think you will find a lot of centre-backs doing what he’s doing. Credit to the players around him as well, the way they are guiding him, protecting him, inspiring him and then with the qualities he has, the presence, the physicality and composure to be a leader in the back line for a big club like us, it’s a huge compliment.”
Every team has players who are more important than others. But perhaps Saliba can now be considered the single biggest influence on this Arsenal side.
