Jamie Carragher believes William Saliba's impact on Arsenal can be compared with the one Virgil van Dijk had on Liverpool.
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Arsenal are sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League table after winning seven of their opening eight league games.
Saliba, who eventually made his first-team debut for Arsenal this season three years after initially joining the club, has had a major impact on how the Gunners have defended.
The Frenchman has been a rock at the back for Arsenal this season and Carragher compared his impact to the one Van Dijk had when he joined Liverpool in 2018.
He pointed out that like the Liverpool stalwart, Saliba is a modern centre-back who has pace to burn and the ability on the ball to allow Arsenal to play out from the back.
The former Red conceded that it is too early to say whether the Frenchman will have the long-term impact that Van Dijk eventually went on to have, but stressed that Saliba has turned a flaky Arsenal defence into a solid unit with his presence.
Carragher wrote in his Daily Telegraph column: “Saliba is a modern centre-back in the Van Dijk mould.
“He is fast enough to deal with the quickest strikers, aerially strong to cope with target men, and comfortable in possession to ensure his side can play from the back.
“Yes, these are early days and Saliba has a long way to go to match Van Dijk’s long-term influence at Liverpool, but he has had an immediate impact on how structurally sound a previously flaky defence looks.”
Mikel Arteta has conceded that he was unsure whether he would be able to revive his relationship with Saliba when he returned from his loan spell at Marseille in the summer.
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