William Saliba stars for Arsenal in Liverpool stalemate

Arsenal centre-back William Saliba delivered an impressive performance during the 1-1 draw against Liverpool in the Premier League at Anfield yesterday.

The Gunners raced into a 1-0 lead after just four minutes on the clock. Gabriel Magalhaes opened the scoring with a fine header from a Martin Odegaard cross.

The north London giants could have extended their lead with the early possession, but Liverpool eventually scored the equaliser through Mohamed Salah.

A fantastic long ball from Trent Alexander-Arnold saw Oleksandr Zinchenko isolated versus Salah. The Egyptian unleased a powerful strike at the near post.

Arsenal could have lost the game in the second half where Liverpool had a 5 v 1 situation, but Alexander-Arnold fluffed his lines, only hitting the woodwork.

From the Gunners’ point of view, there were plenty of positives defensively and Saliba was undoubtedly the stand-out performer against Jurgen Klopp’s side.

The €75 million-rated star was rock-solid in the heart of the defence with 56 touches. While Magalhaes made key clearances, Saliba won 100 per cent of his aerial duels (3/3).

He was also impressive with his positioning and composure on the ball. Barring the one counter-attacking situation, he controlled the proceedings at the back.

Saliba and Magalhaes have been brilliant as a central defensive pairing and Arsenal fans will be hoping that they can continue the bright form for the whole season.

Yesterday’s 1-1 draw ensured that Arsenal will remain top of the table at Christmas for the second straight year – the first time this has happened since 1932-1933.

The Gunners need to quickly refocus with a crucial derby coming up against West Ham United at home on December 28. They will be aiming to avenge the 3-1 loss in the Carabao Cup fourth round.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com