William Saliba featured in France’s 2-2 draw with Iceland, capping off his international break before returning to Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta will be pleased to have the defender back without any issues, with Saliba completing his international duties and heading home unscathed.
While he had a comfortable game against Azerbaijan earlier in the week, this one proved a bit more challenging.
Goals from Christopher Nkunku and Jean-Philippe Mateta gave France hope of a win, but Iceland hit back just two minutes after Mateta put them ahead.
Saliba was involved in the build-up to Iceland’s equaliser, and the French media were quick to point out his role in it.
William Saliba’s Iceland performance draws mixed reactions from French media
Saliba is generally known for his composure, but the 24-year-old struggled to keep his cool after France went in front.
Iceland’s equaliser left France out of position and exposed, with Eurosport describing Saliba’s role in the goal as a ‘stupid mistake’.
“Too high, Saliba was sucked in for the second goal. It’s a shame because he remains very reliable in contact. In short… A stupid mistake with serious consequences.”
RMC offered a similar assessment, criticising the Arsenal defender for his lack of alertness during key moments.
“Very present in the duels, particularly with his head, he lost the ball and made the mistake which led to the first Icelandic goal, before being lacking vigilance on the second.”
But not all reviews were negative. Le Quotidien du Sport pointed out that aside from one lapse, Saliba was among France’s better performers on the night.
“It’s sad to say, but the Arsenal player was one of the best French players. Even if he got caught in the middle for the Icelanders’ equaliser.”
Footmercato saw things differently as well, noting that Saliba played well overall and didn’t make any significant mistakes outside of that moment.
“Imperial in the air, he crossed the match without incident as if on an armchair. A solid performance without any particular brilliance or notable errors either.”
Breaking down William Saliba’s numbers from France’s draw with Iceland
Feedback on Saliba’s outing was varied, though most pointed to his role in the equaliser as the main issue.
Aside from that moment, he put in a solid shift, racking up ten defensive actions over the course of the match.
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He saw plenty of the ball too, recording 96 touches and completing 94% of his passes. The key takeaway for Arsenal is that Saliba came through unscathed and will be available as they prepare for a packed schedule back at home.
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