William Saliba excels as Arsenal easily beat Brentford

William Saliba delivered another superb performance for Arsenal as they secured a comfortable 3-0 Premier League win at Brentford this afternoon.

The Gunners had the opportunity to return to the top of the table with a victory in west London, and they did exactly that with a convincing display on both ends of the field.

Gabriel Martinelli could have scored after just 90 seconds on the clock, but it was Saliba who eventually opened the scoring with a looping header from a Bukayo Saka corner in the 17th minute.

Gabriel Jesus scored with another stunning header from a Granit Xhaka cross in the 28th minute. The game was put to bed following Fabio Vieira’s stellar long-range strike just after the interval.

Barring one save from Aaron Ramsdale in the 71st minute, the Gunners controlled the proceedings. Saliba played a leading role once more as he saw off the threat from an in-form Ivan Toney.

The Frenchman completed nearly 90 per cent of his passes while winning four ground duels. He also completed 100 per cent of his tackles (2/2) and dribbles (2/2) alongside two clearances.

The 21-year-old only made his Gunners debut against Crystal Palace last month, but he has firmly become a favourite among the faithful with a terrific start to his Premier League career.

His curling strike against Bournemouth was out of the world, but today’s goal against the Bees was definitely his most crucial contribution, considering it paved the way for the Gunners’ dominance.

The victory has ensured that the Gunners are back at the top of the league standings, one point ahead of Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, whom they host next on October 1.

It will definitely be one of the most anticipated north London derbies and hopefully, the game goes on. There has been talk that possible rail strikes may force the fixture to be postponed.

Stats from Transfermarkt and SofaScore.com