This Sunday night at 23:30, the main game of the 5th round of the English Premier League will be played, Arsenal will be away to challenge the defending champion Manchester City. Before the match, Arsenal's defense stalwart Saliba was interviewed by the club's official, sharing his expectations for the match, his personal growth journey and his tacit understanding with his teammates.
Expectations for the race: focus on yourself and aim for the title
Saliba began by expressing a calm attitude towards the game, emphasizing that Arsenal did not lose to Manchester City last season and therefore were not in a revenge mood. But he also admitted that Manchester City, as the league champion in the past two years, the strength of not to be underestimated. Saliba believes that Arsenal need to focus on their own performance, because the competition in the Premier League is fierce, and each opponent can not be ignored. He admits that the team's goal is not just to beat City, but to win the entire Premier League title. In order to achieve this goal, the entire Arsenal team will put in more effort than they did last season and try not to settle for second, third or fourth place again.
Growing up under Arteta: mentorship to glory
Talking about head coach Arteta, Saliba was full of gratitude. He praised Arteta as a very good coach who has brought significant progress to the team. Saliba said that since working with Arteta, he has learned a lot from the coach and he has become a better player as a result. He firmly believes that under Arteta's leadership, Arsenal is capable of winning more trophies.
Career Ups and Downs: Perseverance Leads to Dawn
Saliba looks back on his career at Arsenal and admits that it wasn't all plain sailing. He was loaned out to other teams several times and faced with an uncertain future and career challenges, Saliba never gave up. He said that soccer is like that, sometimes there are bad moments, but there are also good moments. The key is to stay strong and work hard and keep improving. Now that Saliba has been back at Arsenal for two years, he is very happy and will continue to work hard to get better. He admits that he still has goals and ambitions as he is yet to win any trophies. He is looking forward to a brilliant future with Arsenal and the national team.
Partnering with Gabriel: Growing Together in Silence
Finally, Saliba talked about the partnership with teammate Gabriel. He believes that there are no secrets between the two, they just know each other very well. They speak French and have been playing soccer together for a third season, and that understanding has made their partnership a great one. Saliba says that playing with Gabriel is a pleasure and that they have grown and improved together. He is happy to have such a great partner by his side to support him.
