William Saliba is VITAL to Arsenal’s title push after helping secure a 15th clean sheet against Wolves… as defender insists the Gunners are mentally stronger than last season

A title-winning team is a sum of all its parts. But some of those parts are more important than others.

For Arsenal, William Saliba fits squarely into that category.

It was his back injury, suffered in March last season in the Europa League last-16 defeat by Sporting Lisbon, which precipitated the Gunners’ Premier League title demise. Saliba had started every league match up to that point.

The centre back’s involvement in the last five league games this season will be crucial if table-topping Arsenal are to win a first league title in 20 years. Saliba is the only Gunners player to feature in every single minute of the league this season. That has resulted in 15 clean sheets — the most of any player in the top flight. David Raya (13), Gabriel Magalhaes (12) and Martin Odegaard (11) follow next.

His centre-back partner in crime Gabriel is, of course, a contributing factor. They complement each other as a pair. The Brazilian is a street fighter with an aerial threat alongside Saliba, with his excellent defensive positioning.

He has formed a superb partnership with his ‘street fighter’ team-mate Gabriel Magalhaes

It was not all plain sailing on Saturday. Wolves’ Joao Gomes beat Jakub Kiwior on the half-hour mark but Raya pulled off an excellent save, deflecting the ball on to the goalframe. Ten minutes later, Saliba gave the ball away to the Wolves attack from his own box. That could have been costly. 

Yet the 23-year-old regained his composure to ensure another shutout as Wolves pressed towards the end. It was a sixth consecutive clean sheet away from home for the first time in Arsenal’s league history and Saliba agreed it was in part down to the players being mentally stronger than last season.

‘Of course we are,’ said the France defender. ‘We have good experience from last year and this season as well. We know it can be up and down very quickly, so we are well prepared. Anything can happen in the last five games. If we want something at the end, we have to win. We started well today and we have to keep going.

‘If we want to put some pressure on, we have to win, win, win and keep going like this. We know it will be hard but we are prepared.’

With Saliba at the back, the Gunners have every chance.