In the Emirates Cup match on Sunday night, Arsenal defeated Lyon 2-0 with a clean sheet thanks to excellent set piece tactics and solid defense. After the match, Saliba, the backbone of the team's defense, was interviewed by the club's official, sharing his feelings about the match and his expectations for the new season.
Talking about the key moment in the first half when he helped his team take the lead through a header, Saliba said, "In soccer, sometimes set-pieces can be the difference between winning and losing. We are well aware of this and have strengthened our training on set-pieces in the last season. In today's game, we once again showed our strength in this area and took the lead in the opening game. This is very exciting for me because set pieces not only help us break the deadlock, but also stabilize the game at critical moments. We have to keep this up because we can rely on set pieces to win more games in the future."
Facing the hot weather and strong opponents, Saliba believes that the team's performance deserves recognition: "Although today's weather is very hot and the game is not easy, our opponents, Lyon, are also a very good team. They showed a lot of strength and fighting spirit. I'm glad we were able to withstand the pressure and play in our own style. This win means a lot to us and not only strengthens the team's self-confidence, but also lays a good foundation for the next matches."
Commenting on the performance of teammate Calafiori, Saliba didn't mince words of praise: "Calafiori is a very good young player and his performances have been impressive. We are delighted to have him in our team and look forward to him continuing to shine in the coming games. I am sure he will have a great season with us."
Talking about the team's performance on the defensive end, Saliba particularly emphasized the team's collaborative spirit: "Every time we lose the ball, the whole team will quickly go back to the defense and participate in the defense together. This is the tactical philosophy that the coach has always emphasized, and it is also the key to our ability to maintain a solid defense. We have to be alert and energetic at all times in order to quickly regain possession and launch counterattacks in the game."
Finally, looking ahead to the new season, Saliba said with confidence, "I'm really looking forward to the start of the new season. I believe we are capable of achieving better results in the new season. We will give all our efforts as usual to bring our fans great games and more victories. Hopefully this will be a very good season for us."
