Summary William Saliba starred in a resilient Arsenal defensive performance, helping end Man City's 57-game goal streak. Declan Rice proves to be a bargain for Arsenal with another outstanding display in midfield against Manchester City. Rice's impressive stats show his composure on the field, with a high pass accuracy and crucial defensive contributions.
Arsenal walked away from the Etihad Stadium this evening with a very important point that Mikel Arteta will gladly take.
However, for the neutral, it was far from a game that will be remembered as a title race classic, with the tie ending 0-0, which does neither Manchester City nor the Gunners many favours.
In truth, it was a tie that both sides were desperate not to lose rather than win, but the hosts did enjoy far more of the ball, tallying up 72% possession.
But, ultimately, they were unable to break down the stubborn Arsenal side, which defended in a compact block, with William Saliba and one more Arsenal ace being the stars of the show.
William Saliba’s performance in numbers
Prior to the game, it was a known fact that Saliba was set to be in for a difficult afternoon, but in all honesty, he passed the Erling Haaland test with flying colours, just like he did in the reverse fixture.
The French defender was at the heart of the backline, helping Arsenal end Man City’s 57-game goal streak at the Etihad Stadium.
Unlike the reverse fixture, this game wasn’t particularly one that Saliba was able to show his technical class in, with Man City often pressing the centre-back with intensity, as shown by his 76% pass accuracy.
However, the 23-year-old was incredible defensively, making five clearances, three tackles, and winning all six ground duels, limiting Haaland to just seven passes all game.
Even though Saliba was superb, there was one player who was just as good, if not even better than the Gunners number 2.
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ByEthan LambMar 30, 2024 Declan Rice’s statistics vs Man City
It’s unheard of that a £100m signing looks like a bargain in less than a year at a club, but Arsenal’s purchase of Declan Rice is certainly an exception.
Once again, the England international was phenomenal in the middle of the park, striking up a brilliant partnership with Jorginho.
The Evening Standard handed the number 41 an 8/10 rating for his display, alluding to the fact that his defensive work rate and security were extremely important.
The former West Ham United ace started in his usual left-central midfield role and finished the game with the same amount of energy that he started with, as his athleticism and engine stood out.
Pass accuracy
89%
Touches
42
Key passes
1
Successful dribbles
1/1
Tackles
3
As you can see by the table above, Rice was the calm and composed player on the field, boasting an 89% pass accuracy, which was the highest in the Arsenal starting lineup.
That said, he was also not afraid to try to get the ball up the field to the dangerous attackers, whether that be via his passing or dribbling, as shown by his one key pass and 100% dribble success rate.
Defensively, the 25-year-old was also brilliant, making three tackles and covering ground swiftly, which prevented Man City and Kevin De Bruyne from working their magic on the counter.
Overall, it’s fair to say that without Rice in the side this season and today, Arsenal wouldn’t be in their current position with nine games to go.