Saliba sends Haaland timely reminder ahead of crunch Man City vs Arsenal clash (original) (raw)
William Saliba is looking to stop Erling Haaland in his tracks when Arsenal travel to Manchester City in their early Premier League title showdown on Sunday but first up for the Gunners is a trip to Atalanta in the Champions League
William Saliba is ready to lock horns with Erling Haaland again on Sunday
William Saliba says Arsenal have stopped Erling Haaland before and therefore, can stop him again.
The colossal France international central defender is gearing up for the Gunners' Champions League opener against Atalanta in Bergamo on Thursday night.
But Arsenal evidently and somewhat understandably, also appear to have one eye on Sunday's blockbuster showdown with Premier League title rivals Manchester City given the significance of this match could potentially define their season.
Stopping the formidable goalscoring force that is Haaland, who has hit nine top-flight goals in his opening four matches, could hold the key to another positive result following a hard-fought 0-0 draw last time out at City in late March.
And Saliba, speaking Fox Sports Mexico, is optimistic history will repeat itself as Arsenal look to execute a shutout: "He is a great player. One of the best in the world. It is difficult to play against him but last season we gave everything to stop him from scoring and he didn't succeed."
However, the 23-year-old also warned his fellow Arsenal team-mates that the title won't be won or lost just five games into the 2024-25 season.
He added: “Of course we want to compete against Manchester City like we have done in the last two seasons but we know we have to do more. As I said, we have to compete against City but we also have to do it against other teams because it is not just about City. If you win against them but not against the others it doesn't mean anything. So, of course we want to win this weekend and we will give everything to win but it's not the end on Sunday."
Erling Haaland is out to continue his exceptional start to the new season against Arsenal on Sunday (
Image:
Stu Forster/Getty Images)
City boast a key advantage over Arsenal in the sense that they will have 24 hours extra rest as they kick-start their Champions League campaign tonight at home to Inter Milan.
Meanwhile, Arsenal also have to travel back from Italy before they travel north to Manchester amid a hectic schedule. Martin Odegaard missed training on Wednesday ahead of Arsenal's clash with Atalanta with the ankle injury he sustained while away on international duty with Norway.
Riccardo Calafiori was back in training, however, after a calf issue kept him out of Sunday's north London derby victory over Tottenham. Oleksandr Zinchenko, Mikel Merino, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney were all missing due to injury. Declan Rice is expected to return to the Arsenal fold after he sat out of the triumph over Spurs due to suspension.
Join our new WhatsApp community! Click this link to receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Sky has slashed the price of its Sky Sports, Sky Stream, Sky TV and Netflix bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £216 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
With Ultra HD included at no extra cost, football fans can enjoy the 2024/25 season with crystal clear picture quality.