Opinion: Why Saliba Must Start Against Haaland in Arsenal’s City Clash

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·19 September 2025

Opinion: Why Saliba Must Start Against Haaland in Arsenal’s City Clash

Arsenal are scheduled to take on Manchester City in a blockbuster clash this weekend and they will be coming off the back of a hard-fought win in midweek. Cristhian Mosquera was one of the stars of the show against Athletic Club last time out and his recent performances will put him in strong contention to start this weekend.

In fact, the most logical selection alongside Gabriel would be the Spaniard and this is due to his form and a recent injury to William Saliba. The £13 million summer signing has certainly defied expectations so far. He came on for Saliba in the 4th minute at Anfield and hasn’t put a foot wrong at the heart of defense. The fact that we haven’t even felt the absence of such an important player is testament to how seamlessly he has fit in. The young Spaniard certainly deserves his plaudits, however, I think William Saliba should come in for the Manchester City clash this weekend.

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Why Saliba Should Return

The Frenchman returned to first-team training prior to the Nottingham Forest game last weekend, while he was named among the substitute’s bench in midweek. The in-form Erling Haaland is almost exclusively the only reason I think Saliba should come in.

Haaland has been a man on a mission in recent weeks. He has scored 12 goals in his last six appearances for club and country, a run that includes five goals in a single game against Moldova. The Norwegian’s form will be a huge concern heading into the encounter and that is exactly why William Saliba should make the starting lineup.

Arsenal are unbeaten in their last five matches against Manchester City in all competitions and even though Haaland scored two goals in those encounters, the Norwegian was largely kept at bay by the formidable duo of Gabriel and Saliba. Haaland usually targets the weaker defender to play off and I’m not necessarily saying that Mosquera is a ‘weak-link’, but he’s certainly a less imposing presence than Saliba. Mosquera is also less superior in the air and considering that is one of Haaland’s strongest attributes, the inclusion of Saliba would make a lot of sense.

William Saliba (Photo by Yu Chun Christopher Wong/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)

Balancing Form and Fitness

There will obviously be a need to ease the Frenchman back into the fold and Mosquera’s form will certainly encourage it. However, the aforementioned points cannot be ignored surely?

Do you agree gooners? Let us know in the comments.

Benjamin Kenneth

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