Rio Ferdinand thinks Mikel Arteta has a selection problem coming, and that William Saliba may be the one who loses out. A week after suggesting Ezri Konsa could step back to right-back once Saliba is fit, the former England centre-back now sounds far less sure that the Frenchman will walk straight back into the side.
What Ferdinand said
Saliba has not played for Arsenal this season after a back injury suffered in France’s World Cup semi-final defeat to Spain, but he played for the club’s under-21s last weekend as he nears a return. In his absence, Konsa has partnered Gabriel Magalhaes in the meanest defence in the Premier League.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ferdinand said: “Mikel Arteta has got a huge problem now. What is he going to do when Saliba is fit? Because Konsa has come into that back four and said, ‘I have been here for 10 years and I am the immovable object now,’ that’s what it feels like.” His comments were reported by beIN Sports.
“He has just slid in there and said, ‘that is my spot, it is mine now’. He has made some last-ditch tackles to keep them in games and to help them win games,” Ferdinand added. “He looks dominant, aggressive, and he looks accustomed to wearing the Arsenal shirt. He looks like he is meant to be there, but let’s not forget about Saliba and what he was doing when he was in the team, how great he looked.”
A shift from last week
That is a change of emphasis. Speaking on the same channel the week before, after Arsenal’s win at Anfield, Ferdinand put Saliba first. “I think William Saliba is one of those guys that you have to find room for in the team,” he said then, according to SoccerNews. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Konsa goes back to right-back once Saliba comes back.”
Seven days later, Konsa is the “immovable object”. Nothing dramatic has happened in between. Arsenal have simply kept winning and kept not conceding, and the longer that goes on, the harder it becomes to argue for changing the pairing.
The numbers behind Konsa’s case
Arsenal have won nine of their first 10 league games and lead Brighton by five points. They have conceded five goals, the fewest in the division, and opponents have managed just 26 shots on target against them, according to figures cited by beIN. Konsa, signed from Aston Villa in the summer for a reported £55m, has played in nine of those games, sharing the squad lead for interceptions with Gabriel and Declan Rice. Only Rice has won possession back more often.
Jamie Carragher has already said this back four is nearing the level of the Tony Adams era, as we reported after the Anfield win. Breaking up that unit carries a real risk.
The case for Saliba
The counter-argument is the one Ferdinand made a week ago, and he has not abandoned it. Even now he describes Saliba as “arguably your best one”, and a player of that level does not usually spend long on the bench once fit.
There is also a practical solution in his earlier remarks: moving Konsa back to right-back would let Arteta keep both players on the pitch. Ferdinand’s own conclusion is that this is a good problem to have: “This is a problem, but it is a problem that Mikel Arteta, I hope, will enjoy – to have two top centre-backs vying to play in that team, who are performing at their best at the moment, and arguably your best one [Saliba] is not in there… what a position to be in.”
When it will matter
Konsa is set to miss England’s game against Croatia on Thursday with a minor knock but could return for the match against Spain on Sunday. Arsenal’s first game after the break is at Newcastle on 21 November, followed by Manchester City at home the next week.
Our verdict
Ferdinand’s shift is a fair reflection of how the evidence has moved. A week ago, form suggested a temporary arrangement; now Konsa has made himself hard to drop. Whether Saliba is ready for St James’ Park or not, the City game looks like the real test of whether the “immovable object” stays put.
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