Is William Saliba part of Mikel Arteta’s plans this season?

The return of William Saliba was a sight for sore eyes, and personally speaking, this was something that I was itching to see. Having spent the last three seasons on loan at various French clubs, Saliba was named to start alongside Gabriel against Everton by Mikel Arteta.

The 21-year-old put forth a composed 70-odd minute performance as he barely got out of second gear. His progressive passing kept his side moving forward, and his pace allowed him to cut off any long balls that the Everton midfield was trying to play in behind.

He was caught ball-watching early in the first half and was bailed out by Cedric, who covered perfectly, but aside from that, it was an assured performance and one that will no doubt make every Arsenal fan excited to see him in Premier League action.

With Ben White reportedly nursing an injury, expect Saliba to feature again against Orlando City in the Gunners’ next pre-season hitout.

It was certainly a pleasing performance for the Frenchman as we all got to finally see him in an Arsenal shirt, three years after joining the club.

At one stage, there was a real thought that Saliba could be moved on and that would have sent shudders down the spine of every Arsenal fan. Such is the 21-year-old’s talent, it would have been a huge mistake.

At the time of writing, Benjamin White and Gabriel are Arteta’s first-choice pairing in the heart of the defence, but Saliba will be pushing the door down if he continues to put performances in like he did against Everton.

With the Gunners now in the Europa League, there will be game time for the Frenchman to showcase his skills, and hearing Arteta say he plans to use Saliba this upcoming season will no doubt be music to the ears of Arsenal fans everywhere.