William Saliba to MISS crucial Man City clash

Arsenal are set to be without star defender William Saliba for their crucial Premier League clash at Manchester City on Wednesday.

Saliba has enjoyed an exceptional season in north London and is a major factor in why the Gunners currently sit atop the Premier League table. His ability in possession has further bolstered Arsenal’s build-up play under Mikel Arteta, while his impressive recovery pace has allowed the Gunners to adopt a more aggressive defensive line.

As a result, the Frenchman’s absence has been hard felt in recent weeks with Takehiro Tomiyasu’s injury meaning Rob Holding has deputised alongside Gabriel.

In the five games Saliba’s missed, Arsenal have conceded nine goals and dropped six points.

William Saliba to MISS crucial Man City clash

Saliba has been out of action since 16 March with a lower back problem, but many supporters hoped that he’d be fit to face Man City in what looked to be a potential title decider. However, Arsenal’s recent malaise means they’ve likely got to go to the Etihad and win if they’re to claim their first league title in 20 years.

Unfortunately, though, Saliba is set to miss Wednesday’s game.

After Arteta said last week that the 22-year-old was “not progressing” as quickly as the club expected during his recovery, The Athletic’s David Ornstein reports that the defender will not be available to face City.

Saliba is also expected to miss Chelsea’s visit to the Emirates on 2 May, and Ornstein writes there are growing concerns that the French international’s season might be over.

Such a development would be a huge blow to the Gunners, who currently sit five points clear of City having played two games more. In Saliba’s absence, Arsenal are conceding, on average, double the number of goals per game (1.8 up from 0.9), while their win rate has slid from 77.8% to 40%.