In a surprising turn of events, Arsenal’s star centre-back William Saliba has offered to play as a striker to help the injury-ravaged club maintain their Premier League title challenge. With forwards Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka all sidelined, manager Mikel Arteta faces a selection crisis up front. But Saliba, known for his defensive prowess, could provide an unorthodox solution.
Desperate Times, Desperate Measures
Arsenal’s title chase has been dealt a major blow with a spate of attacking injuries. Losing Jesus and Havertz for the season, along with short-term absences for Martinelli and Saka, leaves Arteta’s side desperately short of firepower. Enter William Saliba, the 23-year-old French defender, who has apparently volunteered his services as an emergency striker.
“Willy always says, ‘I’ll play as a striker, I’ll play,'” revealed Arteta in a press conference. “Willy is so funny, straight away it was one of his reactions. It’s true as well that he played there. He used to score a lot of goals.”
– Mikel Arteta on William Saliba
Saliba’s Striking Past
Although now established as one of the Premier League’s top centre-backs, Saliba actually began his career as a forward at AS Bondy. Coached by Kylian Mbappé‘s father Wilfried, the young Saliba showcased his attacking talents before transitioning to defence as a teenager at Montfermeil. While his days as a striker are well behind him, Saliba clearly still backs his ability to lead the line if needed.
Creative Solutions Required
Despite Saliba’s bold offer, Arteta admitted that Arsenal will need to explore multiple options to cope with their injury crisis. “All the options are welcome,” he said. “We are going to have to be creative.” With the transfer window closed, the Gunners may need to rely on tactical flexibility and positional switches to keep their title push on track.
- Potential stand-ins: Eddie Nketiah, Leandro Trossard, Reiss Nelson
- Formation changes: 4-6-0, 3-5-1-1, 4-4-1-1
- Youth promotions: Callum Tullard, Joel Barnes, Rodrigo Zilio
While Saliba is unlikely to actually start up front, his willingness to step up underscores the unity and determination within the Arsenal squad. As they head into a crucial clash with Leicester City, the Gunners will need to summon all their resilience and resourcefulness to keep their title dreams alive. With leaders like Saliba ready to put the team first, Arteta’s men will fancy their chances of finding a way to win, no matter who leads the line.
