Real Madrid star Antonio Ruidger has praised Arsenal centre-back pair William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, calling them the best defensive duo in the world.
Mikel Arteta’s team is flying right now with stunning results this season. But nothing could have been possible without those two warriors at the back. They have transformed the way the English giants used to operate.
The club no longer possesses a vulnerable defence, a weakness that was called out far more often in the past.
In fact, other teams now look at them in awe for being so disciplined and consistent at the back. Over the past three years, both centre-backs have formed a solid partnership at the heart of the Gunner’s defence.
They deserve high praise, and how lovely it will be if a Champions League-winning defender names them as his current favourite.
Speaking on the Inside the Scoop podcast, Rudiger was asked to name the players he believes are operating at the top level, and he instantly picked Saliba and Magalhaes as his choices. He even mentioned their strengths and what they bring to the table for Arsenal. He said:
“If you see Arsenal, the two centre-backs playing together, for two years now they’re doing an amazing job. The transformation from Arsenal that was a bit before to now—those two are the pillars of it.”
“You have with Gabriel the aggressive leader and Saliba—this brother plays clean! You have to give it to him, he looks like a silent leader.”
RUDIGER NAMES HIS CURRENT BEST CENTRE BACKS IN THE WORLD 👀….
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Such compliments from one of the best in the world is a dose of motivation that Saliba and Magalhaes need at this moment. Rudiger is a childhood Arsenal fan, and it’s no secret that he watches their games.
We believe that both Gooners, along with Virgil van Dijk, are the current top 3 CBs in the Premier League.
Arteta’s team is fantastic when both stars are on the pitch. The defensive duo has kept five clean sheets in eight games in all competitions this season.
They conceded just five goals, a similar story to last season, where they allowed the fewest number of goals (29) and kept the most clean sheets (18) in the PL.
Due to their exploits at the back, Saliba and Magalhaes were named in the PFA Team of the Year last season.
“On the pitch, the communication is important”
How does the partnership of Saliba and Gabriel work so well? Well we have the answer!
The full video with the Arsenal players is out now on the Stadium Astro YouTube page! #AstroEPL #Arsenal #Gabriel pic.twitter.com/CCwaslg1g3
— Stadium Astro 🇲🇾 (@stadiumastro) March 24, 2024
The only major thing missing in their resume is winning trophies. Frank Lampard recently highlighted that they need to win silverware if they want to enter the conversation of being one of the best-ever defensive duos in the league.
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They are undoubtedly the most feared centre-back pair in the market and will be hungry for their first PL title after missing out narrowly in the past two seasons.
