William Saliba and Gabriel: Why Arsenal’s old-fashioned pair represent Mikel Arteta’s evolution

Saliba and Gabriel are a throwback centre-back partnership and their defensive understanding has allowed Arsenal to take a step forward in several ways

Arsenal have the best defensive record in the Premier League and Saliba and Gabriel have been integral (Getty Images)

Early on in Arsenal’s win over Bournemouth, as anxiety started to spread around the stadium with so many wasted attacks, there was a hint it might be getting to the back line. Gabriel Magalhaes made a rare misstep to let Dominic Solanke in, only for that to be immediately cut out by a brilliant tackle from William Saliba.

There were two notable aspects to this. One was that such a moment stood out all the more because it has become so rare Gabriel makes an error. The other was Saliba had his back.

He instinctively knew where to go because he now has that kind of relationship with his centre-half partner.

That sentence in itself is something rare in modern football. Many teams now play three at the back. That formation in itself comes from how managers so commonly rotate their backline, in a way that would have been unimaginable right into the 2000s. Few of Pep Guardiola’s title-winning sides at Manchester City have had absolutely fixed centre-half pairings and even those that have didn’t last long. The Catalan generally rotates his central defenders based on the game or the situation. Or, alternatively, he sometimes plays four of them.

Liverpool did have Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip when Jurgen Klopp’s side were at their best, but the latter was regularly injured. The defensive strength of that side was largely put down to the immense presence of Van Dijk. It didn’t quite make his partners interchangeable but it wasn’t quite seen as a duo in the traditional way.

That is really what Saliba and Gabriel represent at this point. Are they a title challenger’s most traditional centre-half pairing since Manchester United 2012-13? Vincent Kompany and some of the defenders at Chelsea would certainly quibble at that, but it does feel undeniable that this is a throwback after some time.

It has also allowed Arsenal to step forward, in multiple ways. One reason that centre-half partnerships are increasingly rare is because of the tactical evolution of the game, and even the changed requirements of defenders. There’s now as much onus on being able to play the ball as winning it, which inherently means rotation is more necessary than for developing that purer defensive understanding.

Arsenal obviously need that, of course, but also required something else. Arteta has attempted to get to the level of City by making his team more rounded. They can now shut down games as easily as they can open them up. The centre-half duo are integral to this.

Saliba and Gabriel kept Arsenal’s 15th clean sheet of the season against Bournemouth (Getty Images)

The victory over Bournemouth was a vintage illustration. Even against an attacker as dangerous as Solanke, Mikel Arteta’s side felt content to throw everything forward - especially in that tense first 20 minutes - because they knew the underside of the team was secure.

Later on, after Bukayo Saka scored a controversial penalty and the tone of the game flipped for Bournemouth to really go at it, Saliba and Gabriel stood strong. There were more than a few moments when Solanke looked on the verge of breaking through, only for the ball to be clipped away from his foot.

The two get each other, knowing exactly where to fit in. It's all the more impressive given that Saliba essentially had to go to his manager to ask for more football just two years ago. His place wasn't certain in the 2021-22 season. Right now, he's as sure as you can get, especially with Gabriel alongside him.

It may have even more tangible effect for Arsenal, given that this has been the source of their immense goal difference. It is telling that, in the last half-decade, only two separate Liverpool and City teams bested Arteta’s current defensive record. They were both in those title races of 2018-19 and 2021-22. That shows the level required.

Arsenal's current return, of just 0.78 goals conceded a game, is some old-fashioned resilience. That largely comes from an old-fashioned pairing.