Saliba Frustrated Despite Progress: Arsenal Held by City, Defender Vows to Keep Pushing
Arsenal secured a hard-fought point against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, but the result left a bitter taste in the mouth of defender William Saliba, who expressed the team’s desire for more.
City Held at Bay, But Title Race Tightens
The 0-0 draw keeps the Premier League title race wide open, with Liverpool capitalizing on the stalemate by extending their lead at the top of the table to two points.
While frustration may linger for Arsenal, the result nonetheless signifies progress compared to last season’s 4-1 defeat at the Etihad.
This positive spin is further bolstered by the fact that Arsenal remain ahead of City in the standings, setting the stage for a thrilling run-in to the season.
Saliba: “We Are Not Satisfied”
Despite the point, Saliba’s post-match comments for Sky Sports reveal a burning desire for victory:
“We cannot be satisfied when we draw, but it is ok,” Saliba said.
“We learn from some games that we cannot win. We don’t have to lose, and we didn’t so we did well. We leave with one point but we are not satisfied. We know it is the best team in the world so we have to keep focussed all the game. We managed to stop them scoring but we did not score ourselves. But we are happy, let’s see how it turns out.”
Saliba’s acknowledgement of City’s prowess is coupled with a determination to keep pushing for a positive outcome.
The clean sheet achieved against a Guardiola-managed side further highlights Arsenal’s defensive resilience.
With nine games remaining, the Gunners will be looking to capitalize on their momentum and potentially challenge for the Premier League title.
Arsenal are only the fourth team to keep a clean sheet against a side managed by Guardiola in two league matches in the same season, after Borussia Monchengladbach in 2014-15, Manchester United in 2020-21, and Crystal Palace in 2021-22.
Arsenal will aim to get back to winning ways on Wednesday in the Premier League at home to Luton Town.
Meanwhile, Manchester City take on Aston Villa in midweek and Liverpool face Sheffield United.
