Since making his debut for Arsenal in 2022, William Saliba has developed into a vital member of the team and for his nation. He has also greatly strengthened Arsenal’s defense. Because of his outstanding performances, he now holds a regular spot in the French national team. Saliba was named in the tournament’s Team of the Tournament after his performances during Euro 2024 were instrumental in France’s victory.
However, in France’s most recent match against Italy, Saliba encountered a formidable opponent. On Friday, France suffered a tough loss at home against Italy. Bradley Barcola’s goal gave France the lead in the first minute, but Federico Dimarco’s equalizer for Italy came at the half-hour mark. Encouraged by Sandro Tonali’s return, the Italians took the lead five minutes into the second half through a goal from Davide Frattesi. Giacomo Raspadori’s goal in the 74th minute gave them the victory.
Saliba found it difficult to have an effect on the game, as did many of his typically dependable French teammates. Despite not being the worst player on the field, his performance received negative coverage from the French media. Numerous media sources drew attention to his struggles in controlling Italy’s attack, especially on the third goal.
Saliba received a score of 4 out of 10 from Eurosport, pointing out that although he displayed greater composure than some of his teammates, mistakes marred his performance. He was cleaner and more assured in his interventions than others, occasionally maintaining the line quite effectively, the outlet reported. Apart from a few careless errors, what transpired on the third goal? He could have easily avoided the threat, but he chose not to. His entire performance was overshadowed by that mistake.
Saliba’s performance was likewise given a 4 by Maxifoot, who added that while he did well at Euro 2024, he did not perform well in this specific game. The article stated that although Saliba had performed well in his first-half duels with Italian strikers such as Mateo Retegui and Lorenzo Pellegrini, he had struggled after the break, especially after being caught out of position during Raspadori’s goal.
Even more critical, Footmercato rated Saliba a three. According to the outlet, both players misinterpreted their individual marking assignments, drawing comparisons between his difficulties and those of fellow defender Ibrahima Konate. While Saliba’s mistakes were less obvious than Konate’s, Footmercato observed that Saliba was far less composed than he had been during Euro 2024, when he was a standout player. According to the publication, Saliba struggled in crucial duels, particularly during Italy’s third goal when he failed to clear the ball effectively, making the match difficult for France’s central defense.
Saliba is still an important player for Arsenal and the French national team, even after his difficult performance against Italy. But as this performance showed, even the best players can have bad games, so Saliba will probably try to improve in the next games.
