In their most recent World Cup qualifying match, France and Iceland drew 2-2 away from home, with Arsenal centre-back William Saliba playing the entire ninety minutes.
In the 39th minute, Victor Palsson gave the team the lead, but in the second half, goals from Jean-Philippe Mateta and Christopher Nkuku changed the tide. Kristian Hlynsson quickly tied the score to give his team a point, but Didier Deschamps’ team was unable to maintain their lead.
In recent years, Saliba has established himself as one of the world’s top defenders at Arsenal. Nevertheless, there are frequently concerns about his capacity to maintain that high level of performance in international football.
The 24-year-old only had one appearance off the bench during the 2022 World Cup, so Deschamps undoubtedly took some time to fully trust him. Since then, Saliba has largely silenced his sceptics and established himself as a reliable starter.
However, some of his detractors back in France seem to have found a way in after this recent draw with Iceland.
French Media Call Saliba “Stupid”
Some believed Saliba was also responsible for the second goal, pushing up high to regain the ball and creating space for Hlynsson to exploit. Iceland took the lead after Saliba gave up a free-kick recklessly. His performance did not impress the French media as a result.
Notably, Saliba’s contribution to the equaliser was called “stupid” by Eurosport. They penned:
Saliba got sucked in for the second goal because he was too high. Unfortunately, he is still highly dependable when contacted. To put it briefly… A foolish error with grave repercussions.
Not to be outdone, L’Equipe gave the Arsenal player a 3/10 for his efforts. As noted by journalist Matt Spiro, he was ‘at fault for both goals’. To make matters worse, RMC asserted that Saliba was not exercising “vigilance” at the time. They stated in full:
“He lost the ball and made the mistake that resulted in the first Icelandic goal, and he was not very vigilant on the second.” “Very present in the duels, especially with his head.”
Even Le Quotidien du Sport’s admiration may be interpreted as disparaging, despite their softer tone. “Unfortunately, the Arsenal player was among the best French players,” they said. even if the Icelanders equalised and he was trapped in the middle.
Footmercato, who seemed to have a completely different perspective on the defender’s evening, provided the lone ray of hope. They even implied that he had a good game:
He crossed the match without any problems, seemingly sitting in an armchair, imperial in the air. As we would anticipate from one of the Premier League’s most dependable defenders, it was a strong performance devoid of any outstanding moments or mistakes.
Even with that praise, Saliba wasn’t playing at his best. If there aren’t any injury concerns, he hopes to improve in his upcoming matches, which are against Ukraine and Azerbaijan in November.
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