THIERRY HENRY has claimed an Arsenal star is “the best defender by a mile” in the Premier League – despite Luton scoring three past them.
The Hatters eventually suffered heartbreak in the final minute at Kenilworth Road as they slipped to a 4-3 defeat to the Gunners last night.
ReutersWilliam Saliba has been labelled ‘the best defender by a mile’ in the Premier League[/caption]
EPAGunners legend Thierry Henry made the claim after the win over Luton Town[/caption]
Declan Rice headed home at the death to spare goalkeeper David Raya’s blushes after his two errors and move the Gunners five-points clear.
Mikel Arteta’s team went into the game with the top-flight’s best defensive record having conceded 11 goals in their opening 14 matches.
And despite the action-packed Premier League showdown having plenty of talking points, Arsenal legend Henry was keen to praise 22-year-old centre-half William Saliba after the seven-goal thriller.
Speaking on Amazon Prime Sport, the France U21 head coach said: “Right now I think he [Saliba] is [the best], by a mile.
“The way he can defend a 1v1, the way he allows Arsenal to stay higher [up the pitch] and defend the 45-50 yards behind him is second to none.
“His speed, the way he recovers, and when he recovers the ball he doesn’t just kick it into the stands – he tries to get it back [to his team-mates] which is important.
“I was working in France when he was on loan to Marseille and I was surprised that Arsenal didn’t keep him because I thought he was better than what we had.
“But he went on loan and he came back and he showed everybody that that was a mistake and now he’s now the best defender in the league.”
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Saliba finally became a key man at the Gunners under Arteta last season after his initial struggles.
He arrived at the Emirates in a £27m move from Saint-Etienne in 2019 but was instantly loaned back to his former club.
Saliba then spent the following two years back in his homeland with further loan stints at Nice and Marseille before Arteta made him a first-team regular last term.
His displays helped Arsenal mount their impressive title challenge, which ultimately ended unsuccessfully, to Manchester City and he has continued to shine this campaign.
The ace’s performances have also been rewarded on the international stage, winning 12 caps for France so far having made his debut in 2022 and going to the Qatar World Cup.
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