Ian Wright praised the ‘incredible’ Gabriel Jesus and the ‘magnificent’ William Saliba after both made their debuts in Arsenal’s opening win over Crystal Palace.
After finishing fifth in the Premier League last season, the Gunners began the 2022-23 season with a 2-0 win over Patrick Vieira’s Palace at Selhurst Park.
The team led by Mikel Arteta came out of their blocks to take the lead in the 20th minute when Gabriel Martinelli scored the first goal of the new campaign from a corner kick.
Crystal Palace scored for both sides at half-time, but Arsenal were able to hold on to their home advantage before the game was over thanks to a Marc Ghe own goal.
Jesus, Saliba and Alexander Zinchenko all made their debuts for the north London side, and Wright was pleased with the performances for Arsenal, who showed their ambition for the season with a hard-fought win.
Asked to rate Saliba’s debut, Wright told the Premier League side: He was great tonight. Looks like a new signing.
“Miquel and Edu should get a lot of credit for what they did to this man. This man that we always thought was special.
Even when he was loaned out, fans demanded his return.
“It was a great decision for Arsenal. It was easy to bring him back last year, but they gave him an extra season and now it looks like he’s been playing this position for years.
“At the age of 21, going to Crystal Palace for the first game of the season and playing like that… I don’t want to get carried away, but it’s a decent performance.”
Saliba joined Arsenal for £27m in 2019 but made his highly anticipated Gunners debut after spending the last two seasons on loan.
Meanwhile, Yes was playing his first match with Mikel Arteta since his £45m transfer from Manchester City earlier in the summer.
Despite failing to find the net, the Brazilian put in an impressive performance that affected the Crystal Palace defense in the 45th minute.
“It’s a link game, it’s the position he takes, it’s the threat, it’s the pressure,” Wright said of Yes.
He was one of the best players in the closing, said the Brazilian coach, and Mikel too.
“He’s a great player, that’s what Arsenal needed, someone who can perform in and out of the box. He was always causing problems.”
He will score goals for us. That is a huge advantage for Arsenal. He is a great addition to the team.
Arsenal manager Arteta also praised Saliba and Jesus.
‘for him [Saliba] Our first Premier League match was away from Palace, but thanks to the youngster for his great performance and humility,” Arteta said.
Playing “Jesus” is nothing but a nightmare for defenders. He is inspiring, he never stops, always on your shoulders, ready to play with or without the ball, and I am very happy with his performance.
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Source: Metro
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