Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand praised Arsenal defenders William Saliba and Gabriel Magalas after their performance in yesterday’s 1-0 win over Brentford.
Manchester City were held to a 1-1 draw with Liverpool earlier in the day, giving Arsenal the chance to win thanks to Kai Havertz’s late winner.
In the closing minutes of the game, substitute Kai Havertz made an immediate impact, tapping in Bukayo Saka’s cross to secure all three points for Arsenal.
After the match, Rio Ferdinand praised Mikel Arteta’s defensive duo, highlighting in particular the performances of centre-backs Saliba and Gabriel.
Speaking about the pair on TNT Sports via football.london, Ferdinand expressed his respect for their contribution to the team. “Me and [Peter] Crachi were sitting here thinking how good these two guys are. Protect yourself with that high line.”
“They have the best defensive record in the league at the moment and Declan Rice is right in the middle of them right now,” he added.
Thanks to the solid defensive structure of Gabriel and Saliba, the Gunners have conceded 10 goals and conceded once this season. This is why Rio Ferdinand claimed: “That’s why we put Liverpool ahead of the title race.”
