Arsenal star William Saliba has emerged as a key player for both his club and country, significantly strengthening Arsenal’s defense since his debut in 2022. His performances have been so impressive that he has earned a regular place in the French national team. During Euro 2024, Saliba’s contributions were crucial to France’s success, and he performed well enough to be named in the tournament’s Team of the Tournament.
However, Saliba faced a tough challenge in France’s recent match against Italy. On Friday, Italy handed France a difficult defeat on their home ground. Despite France taking the lead in the first minute with a goal from Bradley Barcola, Italy responded with an equalizer from Federico Dimarco around the 30-minute mark. The Italians, buoyed by the return of Sandro Tonali, went ahead just five minutes into the second half when Davide Frattesi scored, and they sealed the victory with a goal from Giacomo Raspadori in the 74th minute.
Saliba, along with many of his usually reliable French teammates, struggled to make an impact during the match. While he was not the worst player on the field, French media were critical of his performance. Several outlets pointed out his difficulties in handling Italy’s attack, particularly on the third goal.
Eurosport gave Saliba a rating of 4 out of 10, noting that while he was more composed than some of his teammates, his performance was marred by errors. The outlet wrote, “He was cleaner and more confident in his interventions than others, sometimes holding the line well. But beyond some unnecessary mistakes, what happened on the third goal? It seemed like he could have cleared the danger but didn’t. That error overshadowed his overall performance.”
Similarly, Maxifoot also rated Saliba’s performance at a 4, commenting that despite his strong showing at Euro 2024, he failed to shine in this particular match. The publication acknowledged that while Saliba was solid in his first-half duels against Italian forwards like Mateo Retegui and Lorenzo Pellegrini, he faltered after halftime, particularly when he was caught out of position during Raspadori’s goal.
Footmercato was even more critical, giving Saliba a rating of 3. The outlet compared his struggles to those of fellow defender Ibrahima Konate, saying that both players misunderstood their individual marking assignments. Footmercato noted that although Saliba’s errors were less noticeable than those of Konate, he was far less composed than he had been during Euro 2024, where he was a standout player. The publication described it as a difficult match for France’s central defense, with Saliba struggling in key duels, especially during Italy’s third goal when he failed to clear the ball effectively.
Despite his tough night against Italy, Saliba remains a key figure for both Arsenal and the French national team. However, this performance highlighted that even top players can have off days, and Saliba will likely be looking to bounce back in future matches.