92.9% pass accuracy: Arteta initially had doubts about player who's been vital for Arsenal this season

William Saliba joined Arsenal in 2019 but returned to Saint-Etienne on loan immediately. He later went on loan to Nice and Marseille before getting a regular opportunity in the 2022/23 season. Early doubts existed about his readiness, but those concerns were resolved as he proved his quality. Saliba became one of Arsenal’s most important players, forming a strong partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes. He is noted for consistent positioning and tackling strength, and he is Arsenal’s best passer this season. WhoScored data shows Saliba has 92.9% pass accuracy, supporting Arsenal’s possession-based style and ability to control games.

"Saliba first moved to the Emirates Stadium in the summer of 2019 when Unai Emery was still manager, but he immediately went back to previous club Saint-Etienne on loan. The France international had a great reputation in Ligue 1 and many Arsenal fans were keen to see him get a chance, but he had to be patient and go out on loan to Nice and Marseille before finally getting a look-in in the 2022/23 season."

"According to the Independent, Arteta was not entirely sure about Saliba at first, though he quickly realised what he had on his hands. It's clear now that Saliba is one of Arsenal's most important players, so fans will be delighted that Arteta didn't end up getting this wrong."

"Saliba is widely regarded now as one of the very finest centre-backs in world football, having formed an excellent partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes. Want more CaughtOffside coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust The 25-year-old is not only incredibly consistent with his positioning and strength in the tackle, but he is actually also Arsenal's best passer this season."

"Stats from WhoScored show that Saliba has a pass accuracy of 92.9% this season for context, the other players just below him have also not played nearly as many games, as the table below shows Player PL Appearances (as sub) Pass accuracy William Saliba 30 (1) 92.9% Myles Lewis-Skelly 4 (15) 91.4% Cristhian Mosquera 8 (11) 90.8% Max Dowman 0 (5) 89.3% Piero Hincapie 19 (5) 88.5% Gabriel Magalhaes 30 (1) 88.1% Arsenal like to control games by almost smothering their opponents, so having a centre-back that can pass this well is essential."

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