William Saliba told he's now only the THIRD best centre-back in the Premier League

William Saliba had antecedently been seen arsenic the apical defender successful the Premier League, but the Arsenal prima has been told helium has slipped backmost amid the Gunners' mediocre results

William Saliba has been told helium has slipped down Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate erstwhile considering the champion centre-backs successful the Premier League.

The Arsenal defender has starred alongside Gabriel for Mikel Arteta's men, helping them to doubly decorativeness arsenic runners-up to Manchester City. But the Gunners have slipped backmost this season and are presently 9 points down leaders Liverpool.

One of their defeats came aft Saliba was sent off successful the aboriginal stages of the clash with Bournemouth. With Arsenal struggling, their rubric rivals Liverpool person surged guardant successful the contention for apical spot.

At the bosom of their occurrence has been their antiaircraft solidity, driven by Van Dijk and Konate. For erstwhile Manchester City prima Richard Dunne, their performances person changeable them supra Saliba successful his rankings of apical Premier League defenders.

"Certainly, Van Dijk from Liverpool. I deliberation he's been fantastic again and is starring the pack. He looks similar a subordinate that is adjacent to being backmost astatine his champion again," Dunne told Gambling Zone.

"There's a batch of speech astir Saliba and Gabriel arsenic being 2 of the best. I don't deliberation they've been connected apical signifier this season, truthful 1 of them is going to person to miss out. I would retired Ibrahima Konate supra them astatine this infinitesimal successful time.

"I deliberation Konate has done truly good erstwhile he's called upon successful 1v1 defending. There's not galore players that tin get astir him. He's speedy and strong. Probably those two, and portion I don't deliberation Saliba's been astatine his best, Ill retired him successful arsenic the 3rd choice."

While Dunne believes Saliba has fallen back, Van Dijk has confirmed helium remains a immense instrumentality of the Arsenal star. The Dutchman insisted his 23-year-old rival was a amended subordinate than helium had been astatine that age.

"Obviously, Saliba's making precise bully steps astatine the moment. He's the archetypal 1 I conscionable person successful caput now. He's a coagulated one. I deliberation successful possession, he's doing a bully job," helium told Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast.

"I think, if I'm honest, erstwhile I was that age, I was obscurity adjacent wherever helium was today. Obviously, that's the quality of shot arsenic well. I similar to ticker different defenders and prime up truthful galore worldly from them.

"There are truthful galore bully ballplayers and centre-halves. Because erstwhile you ticker the game, I decidedly ticker games, particularly connected the highest level, you tin ever prime up definite things.

"But I besides person successful caput that teams are defending successful a antithetic mode than we are defending, truthful you person to support that successful caput too. I think, particularly successful shot possession, the mode you presumption yourself, due to the fact that evidently we are a squad that has the shot a lot.

"And I play connected the near broadside arsenic a close footer, centre-half, evidently for galore years. Sometimes it's bully to prime up the positioning of definite players and what they do. I consciousness like, astatine immoderate age, you tin support learning and I decidedly inactive bash that."

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