William Saliba vs Enzo Fernandez: Arsenal star wants Chelsea ‘REVENGE’

William Saliba has raised eyebrows by stating that he feels a sense of revenge for the 2022 World Cup final every time Arsenal defeat Chelsea and Enzo Fernandez.

The 24-year-old defender, who recently signed a new long-term contract at Arsenal, is currently in France preparing for World Cup qualifiers against Azerbaijan and Iceland.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of France’s clash with Azerbaijan on Friday, the Gunners star was bullish about the current state of Les Bleus and voiced his belief that they can beat anyone on their day.

“The World Cup is in eight months. What differentiates us from Spain and Argentina is that they won the big competitions before, the 2022 World Cup and the Euro,” he explained. “But they don’t scare us. I already hope we qualify and get our revenge at the World Cup.”

Saliba is referring to the 2022 World Cup final, which France lost on penalties after a thrilling 3-3 that saw Kylian Mbappe notch a hat-trick. Saliba was not involved in Qatar, but that hasn’t stopped him from insisting that he wants revenge.

Saliba stokes Chelsea rivalry

Saliba added that he feels a sense of revenge every time he gets one over on Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez with Arsenal. The midfielder enjoyed a breakout tournament in 2022, which prompted the Blues to shatter the British record to sign him a month later.

“So far, I haven’t lost to Enzo Fernandez and Chelsea. So, yes, I’ve had my revenge with Arsenal over Chelsea,” he said, smiling. “When a team beats you, the only thing you want to do is play them again. And if we do things well and qualify, I think we’ll have a chance to get our revenge.”

In the wake of Argentina’s World Cup win, players made negative headlines by signing an anti-French song with racist and transphobic undertones, which caused a massive stir.

Argentina’s players again made headlines by signing that song after their Copa America triumph in 2024, with Fernandez front and centre. His French Chelsea teammate Wesley Fofana publicly slammed the midfielder’s actions as ‘uninhibited racism’ on social media.

Saliba, despite not having been part of the 2022 World Cup squad, has fully bought into the rivalry, but he made sure to emphasise that France’s ambitions for 2026 shouldn’t be reduced to merely revenge.

“It’s not what we want, to go to the World Cup to necessarily take our revenge, we just want to win. But if we come up against them, of course, we will be happy to take our revenge,” the Arsenal star said.

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