BT Sport man has been left stunned by the performance of Arsenal defender William Saliba in the club’s recent win.
To kick off the new season of Premier League football, the Gunners travelled to Crystal Palace on Friday night and managed to claim a promising 2-0 victory.
A first-half goal from Gabriel Martinelli sent Mikel Arteta’s men on their way, before Bukayo Saka’s cross deflected off Marc Guehi late on to seal the win.
However, Arsenal’s backline had to work hard for the win and the clean sheet and it seems as though Saliba stood out as the very best in the eyes of Laurens.
Indeed, the journalist took to Twitter to say: “William Saliba, first ever game in the Premier League, at 21, away at Crystal Palace and he bossed it.
“His stats are remarkable: 0 foul committed. 67% duels won. 6 clearances. 7 recoveries. 94% accurate passes. Man of the match. So impressive.”
Will William Saliba lead Arsenal to a top four finish this season?
Yes
No
TIF thoughts on William Saliba and Arsenal…
Despite joining the club all the way back in 2019, this was the first time Arsenal fans actually managed to catch a glimpse of Saliba playing for the senior team in a competitive match.
However, after this display, and Laurens’ gushing praise, it seems as though it may well have been worth the wait. Indeed, the journalist wasn’t alone in being impressed by the Frenchman either.
Indeed, on the BBC Sport player ratings, Saliba was the best man on the pitch picking up a score of 8.28. While manager Arteta also seemed to like what he saw, telling Sky Sports (via EuroSport): “Saliba was superd. For his age, he is built really well.