After losing 2-1 to Luis Enrique’s Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night, Arsenal’s hopes of winning the Champions League were tragically dashed. Gunners supporters think they now understand why one of their players has been “sloppy and shaky” lately.
Despite a flurry of chances in the early going of the second leg, Mikel Arteta’s team was unable to get off to a fantastic start at the Parc des Princes due to Arsenal’s strength—or lack thereof—and Gianluigi Donnarumma’s outstanding play.
After Fabian Ruiz scored his first goal in the competition past David Raya, the north Londoner’s Champions League comeback took a turn for the worst, and Arsenal fans are also questioning William Saliba’s poor play.
Arsenal Supporters Explain Saliba’s Poor Performance
The Frenchman has had difficulties lately.
Of course, there is no debate over Saliba’s standing as one of the greatest defenders in England’s top tier at the current moment, but there has been a slither of inconsistency that has crept into his game of late – and it’s not gone unnoticed by the ever-growing Arsenal supporters.
Against PSG, there may not have been a moment that leaps out but he, statistically, didn’t pop off the page. Numbers courtesy of Sofascore, he produced two clearances, won just 50% (3/6) of his duels and was uncharacteristically bad with his passing.
Additionally, supporters of the team stationed at Emirates Stadium believe that Saliba’s decline in play is due to an injury to his co-conspirator, Gabriel Magalhaes, who is absolutely essential to his team’s play in both boxes.
One admirer remarked, “It seems like Gabriel is the one making Saliba look good,” while another implied that, without the wounded Brazilian, Saliba, 24, appears to be a less than ideal version of himself. “With Gabriel gone, Saliba appears completely lost.”
Another Arsenal supporter went a step further and said that Gabriel, who is three years Saliba’s elder, is the ideal counterpoint to the Frenchman, who occasionally loses focus or makes poor decisions. They penned:
Unpopular opinion: Gabriel hides many of Saliba’s mistakes. Saliba has been careless and unsteady, and Gabriel has not been present.
Before a fourth fan came to the conclusion that Gabriel’s injury has played a significant role in Saliba’s decline in performance, they said, “Saliba has been mobbing suspect since Gabriel got injured.” They said, “I’ve actually come to the conclusion that Saliba has been shaky since the Gabriel injury.”
Considered by many to be among the greatest players in the Premier League at the moment, Gabriel suffered a hamstring injury against Fulham in early April and hasn’t played since. As a result, he missed Arsenal’s two-leg match against Real Madrid.
Arsenal stated that the defender was scheduled to have surgery to fix his injury. It’s easy to understand why Jakub Kiwior is so highly regarded in football circles, even though he has performed admirably in his place as the Brazil ace. As they say, “absence makes the heart grow fonder.”
