William Saliba is confident that Arsenal can once again stop Erling Haaland, citing their previous success against the Manchester City striker.
The towering French central defender is preparing for Arsenal’s Champions League opener against Atalanta in Bergamo on Thursday night.
However, Arsenal are also clearly focused on their upcoming Premier League clash with City on Sunday, a match that could be pivotal in their title race.
Haaland, who has already scored nine goals in his first four league games this season, presents a significant challenge.
Saliba believes that, given Arsenal’s previous experience, they can secure another strong defensive performance.
Reflecting on their last meeting, a hard-fought 0-0 draw in March, Saliba expressed optimism that history could repeat itself as Arsenal aim for another shutout.
Speaking to Fox Sports Mexico, Saliba emphasized his confidence in Arsenal’s defensive capabilities and their ability to neutralize Haaland’s threat.
“He is a great player,” he said.
“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.”
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.”
Manchester City have a notable advantage over Arsenal, as they enjoy an extra 24 hours of rest ahead of their Champions League opener tonight at home against Inter Milan.
Meanwhile, Arsenal face a more demanding schedule, as they must travel back from Italy before heading north to Manchester for their weekend fixture.
Adding to Arsenal’s challenges, captain Martin Odegaard missed training on Wednesday due to the ankle injury he sustained during international duty with Norway.
His availability for the upcoming match remains in question.
On the positive side for Arsenal, Riccardo Calafiori returned to training after recovering from a calf injury that sidelined him during the North London derby victory over Tottenham.
However, several key players, including Oleksandr Zinchenko, Mikel Merino, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Kieran Tierney, remain out with injuries.
Declan Rice, who missed the win over Spurs due to suspension, is expected to be available for Arsenal’s next game, providing a boost to Mikel Arteta’s side.
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