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Arsenal's invincible star determines William Saliba's chances of making their legendary team.
While Arsene Wenger's Invincibles are possibly the greatest team in Arsenal's 138-year history, Mikel Arteta is writing a legend of his own with this current squad, of which France international William Saliba is an integral member.
Like George Graham's side in the early 90s, Arteta's side are famed for their imperviousness, of which Saliba stands out.
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Comparisons are unavoidable in competitive spheres like football, and in a recent interview with GFFN, Cameroon football legend Lauren, who was an integral member of the Arsenal side that won the 2003/04 Premier League campaign without losing a single game, was asked if Saliba would have made their team.
What Lauren said
The 47-year-old who played for Arsenal from 2000–2007, winning two Premier League titles, now works in sports media, featuring as an in-house pundit in LALIGA TV's coverage.
Lately, he sat down with the aforementioned French football-focused publication to discuss Arsenal's chances this season. During the conversation, he was asked about Saliba’s quality and his chances of replacing either Sol Campbell or Kolo Toure at the heart of the Gunner’s defence.
While he acknowledged the former Saint Etienne star’s quality, he refused to give a definite answer to the question, and he believes players should not be compared across eras.
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“We have to avoid comparisons,” Lauren said. “Saliba is a top player and he could play in any team around the world. I don’t like to compare generations or teams, because as long as we keep comparing, it’s a sign of weakness.
“We have a strong team this year and a team that has been developing and with top players in the squad.
“We have to focus our attention on the squad we have now [and think] that we can challenge anyone in the Premier League and we can challenge anyone in the Champions League. So I prefer to speak and think about [the current team].”
Meanwhile, an error from Saliba has put a dent in Arsenal's title chances. He saw red over the weekend against Bournemouth, which led to the Gunner’s defeat at the Vitality Stadium. He will also miss next weekend's crucial top-of-table clash against Liverpool.
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