Pundits have been arguing whether Saliba or van Dijk should be in their starting lineup for Sunday’s match at the Emirates.

William Saliba has drawn comparisons to Virgil van Dijk ahead of Sunday’s clash

It’s hard to think of a better defender in the Premier League so far this season than William Saliba. Having had to wait patiently for his first chance at the Gunners, the Frenchman is now thriving in Arsenal’s backline.

The concern among Arsenal fans is that the Gunners may not be able to tie him down to a new deal, with his contract at the Emirates Stadium up in 20 months. However, Mikel Arteta says he has “no doubts” that Saliba wants to remain in north London.

Saliba has earned plenty of praise for his performances so far this term and earned comparisons from Michael Owen and Jamie Carragher to Virgil van Dijk. Former Liverpool defender Carragher said: “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.”

Ahead of Arsenal’s clash against Liverpool on Sunday, pundits have been deciding whether they’d currently rather have Saliba or van Dijk in their team. The Gunners have the second best defensive record in the league, while the Dutchman has been under par for the Reds, with Liverpool conceding three goals last time out against Brighton.

Former Tottenham defender Michael Dawson is a huge fan of Saliba but says the 21-year-old needs to perform consistently for a number of years to ever reach the heights van Dijk has.

“Virgil is the best around, I think he’s magnificent,” Dawson told Sky Sports News.

“But what Saliba has done this year – he’s like a new signing. Yes, we never saw him in an Arsenal shirt before this season, but Mikel Arteta has given a young player an opportunity and hasn’t he grabbed it with both hands. Wow.

“He has to do it consistently for a lot of years to get to Virgil van Dijk’s level. He’s had the opportunity, doing it at a big football club, top of the league, winning seven games and only losing to Manchester United.”

source: www.football.london