Martin Keown says Arsenal duo could become the ‘Premier League’s best ever’

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Arsenal remain firmly in contention to win the Premier League title this season, as well as the Champions League.

The Gunners currently sit second in the table, just two points behind leaders Liverpool and one point ahead of Manchester City.

In addition, Arsenal will be up against Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, with the first leg taking place at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.

Mikel Arteta has masterminded a rise back to prominence for a Gunners side that was plodding along outside the bottom four for years.

Admittedly, Arsenal did win a few FA Cups in those years, but the prospect of challenging for the title – and qualifying for the Champions League, never mind challenging for it – seemed distant.

However, Arteta has ruthlessly cleaned house at the Emirates and has built a young, hungry, professional and ambitious team that looks set for a bright future.

One of the key strengths of this team is the defence, with Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba in absolutely imperious form.

Martin Keown, writing in the Daily Mail, believes Gabriel and Saliba have what it takes to become one of the best centre-back duos in English history.

What has Martin Keown said about Arsenal duo Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba?

The Highbury legend says both players “have it all”, and also praised the rest of the Arsenal squad for how they’ve been helping them on the pitch.

At 26 and 23, Gabriel and Saliba are young enough to become one of the Premier League’s best ever centre-back pairings,” wrote Keown. “Especially if they can secure this title.

“They have it all – aggression, pace and the intelligence to be in the right place at the right time, as well as the ability to play it out from the back at a high level.

“Of the 26 games they have started together in the Premier League, they have won 18 and kept 11 clean sheets.

“Arsenal have had a few iconic partnerships, including Sol Campbell and Kolo Toure in the 2003-04 season when Arsenal were last crowned champions.

“But, speaking as a former centre-back, it takes a team to defend, not just two individuals, and Arsenal have been outstanding in their desire to help Gabriel and Saliba.”

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Arsenal’s centre-back pairing has been nothing short of superb this season, the culmination of great work from everyone at N5.

Arteta received a lot of criticism for how he seemingly stalled on throwing Saliba into the Arsenal fold when he still needed to get up to speed, but that decision has certainly been vindicated now.