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And yet while carrying an injury, he still managed to finish the game with a passing accuracy of 97 per cent and limited the impact of Haaland, who has eight goals to his name this season but rarely has had a quieter day up front for City.<\/p>\n
The injury was clearly serious enough for the France international to pull out of the squad after receiving a call-up from Les Bleus coach Didier Deschamps for the fixtures against the Netherlands and Scotland. In an official press release, France announced Saliba would remain with his club over the international break in order to treat his toe injury.<\/p>\n
While much is made about Arsenal’s array of attacking talents, Saliba may prove to be just as vital – if not more. After all, it is widely accepted that their dismal run of form coincided with the time he picked up an injury that ruled him out of the final stretch of the 2022-23 season, where Arsenal’s title challenge crumbled and City clinched their fifth crown in six seasons.<\/p>\n
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DON’T MISS <\/strong> And this performance appeared to confirm that Saliba is gradually entering Virgil van Dijk territory when the Liverpool star was at his peak. No player has successfully managed to dribble past the former Saint Etienne man so far this season, something Van Dijk prided himself on, which would suggest Arsenal may well already have a world-class defender of their own in the making.<\/p>\n He has already made over 150 appearances in his career and despite his youthful presence in the squad, Saliba already has the look of a senior player at the back, and it is difficult to understand why it took the club three years before deciding he was ready to start games.<\/p>\n But they will be glad they resisted offers to sell after loan spells with Marseille and Nice, and while their \u00a327million investment back in 2019 seemed expensive at the time, few would deny it looks like a bargain.<\/p>\n If he can produce near-flawless performances of this kind while injured, Arteta and Arsenal will be eager to see just how good he can be when he returns to full fitness.<\/p>\n Arsenal\u2019s new kit for 2023\/2024 is a stylish twist on a classic as it reinvents that mid-1990s vibe. A truly modern-looking shirt with a homage to the past, the Nike kit also includes a nod to the club\u2019s iconic Invincible\u2019s side in the finer details while catching the eye with the lightning bolt motif<\/p>\n
Erling Haaland’s furious bust-up with Arsenal bench explained in new footage[INSIGHT] <\/strong>
Arsenal can land extraordinary swap deal as Napoli ‘target Gunners star'[GOSSIP] <\/strong>
Arsenal star gets off lightly in Man City win as Guardiola spurns lucky break[ANALYSIS] <\/strong><\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/67\/590x\/secondary\/5002086.jpg?r=1696851198758\")
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