William Saliba: “Haaland is the toughest opponent I’ve ever faced”

There’s no let-up in the Premier League excitement as the English top flight continues to deliver thrilling match-ups week after week. This weekend, the action reaches fever pitch as two of the most formidable teams in the league collide at the Etihad Stadium.

Manchester City, the reigning champions and early frontrunners for the title, will lock horns with a rejuvenated Arsenal. The Gunners, under the guidance of Mikel Arteta, have shown remarkable progress and are eager to challenge City’s dominance.

Guardiola’s City have been in imperious form, scoring goals at will and showcasing their defensive solidity. Arsenal, on the other hand, have been impressive, with their young and talented squad delivering consistent performances.

All eyes will be on Erling Haaland, who has been unstoppable in front of goal, and Arsenal’s defensive duo of William Saliba and Gabriel will have their work cut out to contain him.

As these two giants of English football go head-to-head, the stakes are high. The outcome of this match could significantly shape the title race, and it’s a fixture that no fan will want to miss.

This week on Showmax, we feature an interview with Arsenal defender William Saliba as he chats about the upcoming clash against Man City as well as his time at Arsenal.

I’m sure the atmosphere in the team is great after the North London derby win. What has it been like?

We are all extremely happy because it was a North London derby,. We always want to win this game and we did it so we are super happy and take a lot of confidence going into this weekend’s game.

You are facing another big challenge in the Premier League this weekend facing off against league leaders Man City. Have the preparations been any different?

Yeah, of course. We had two games this week, so our first focus was on Champions League football against Atalanta. After that we can focus on the City game.

Is the team seeking any kind of revenge against City after missing out on the Premier League title last season?

Last season we didn’t lose to them, so there is no revenge. We know they won the league last season and the season before. It’s more about us rather than against City. We have to be focused against all teams and not just Man City. There are a lot of games to play.

How strong is the desire to win the title this season at Arsenal? And do you believe the club is heading in the right direction?

It is very strong. We all want to win the Premier League. It’s not easy but when you finish second twice, you want to go that one step further and win the title, so we will give everything, even more than last season because we don’t want to finish second or third or fourth, so we will give it everything.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has played a crucial role in Arsenal’s success. How would you describe him as a coach?

He’s a really good coach. I am so happy to have him here. He has helped us a lot to grow, especially a young player like myself, so I’ve learnt a lot of things from him and I’ve become a better player since I’ve worked with him. So I’m happy to have him, and I am sure we will win some titles with him.

Did you always believe that you would be a key part of the Gunners’ defence and be a starter one day?

Of course, I didn’t know if I was going to be a starter, but right now I am where I wanted to be. It wasn’t easy in the beginning, but football is like this, you have to work. You have good moments sometimes and bad moments sometimes. I stayed strong and I didn’t give up. I worked a lot, even when I was out on loan.

What is the secret to your strong partnership with Gabriel at Arsenal?

There is no secret. I’m good, he is good. He speaks French and so do I. We are now playing our third season and we know each other very well. It’s a pleasure to play every game with him and we have been growing together as well because he is young as well, so it’s really good to have him on my side.

You are 23 now. Do you feel like you are where you want to be in your career, or do you feel like you still have plenty of goals and aims to achieve?

I have still have goals and ambitions, because I haven’t won anything yet. Of course I had some good seasons, but you need to win some trophies, it’s what I want to do with Arsenal and with the national team.

Who is the best defender in the Premier League and why?

I would probably say myself or Gabriel.

As a defender, which team or player has been the toughest to play against?

Erling Haaland has been the most difficult. He’s so dangerous and it’s not a secret, he’s the toughest one.

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