Arsenal’s William Saliba continues his good run for France in Euro opener with 100% ground duels won against Austria

William Saliba was without fault in his first start for France at an international tournament.

Arsenal’s William Saliba continues his good run for France in Euro opener with 100% ground duels won against Austria

William Saliba was without fault as France held on to a draw vs the Netherlands (Via IMAGO)

Talk about hitting the ground running! Arsenal defender William Saliba stirred up excitement among fans as he received his call up for France to represent the Les Bleus at the 2024 Euros. After an impressive season under Mikel Arteta, it was expected that the centre-back would receive his first-ever start for France in an international tournament.

The heavily anticipated moment came to fruition on Monday night as France took on Austria in Group D. Didier Deschamps was given a front seat show as to why his fans call him a ‘Rolls-Royce’ defender. Following the narrow victory, the No.17’s statistics went viral on social media. From a spotless ground duel success rate to a 94% passing accuracy, his numbers were bound to impress.

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The defensive partnership between Saliba and Dayot Upamecano proved to be rock solid as they only let the opposition take a total of five shots throughout the 90 minutes played.

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Saliba was largely sidelined for France in recent years up until Raphael Varane announced his international retirement. The 23-year-old will receive his biggest test yet on the 22nd as France take on the Netherlands.

Didier Deschamps explains why he started William Saliba over Ibrahima Konate

France head coach Didier Deschamps raised several eyebrows when he decided to start William Saliba over Ibrahima Konate. The former however put in an impressive shift in defense, thereby doing justice to his inclusion in the squad.

Didier Deschamps & Ibrahima Konate William Saliba
Didier Deschamps picked Saliba over Konate against Austria (Via X/@ESPNFC & eurofootcom)

However, many fans were still unconvinced as to why the manager opted not to start the Liverpool centre-back. In the press confrence following the match, Deschamps justified his selection. 

If I started Saliba, it's because I thought he was more prepared for such a game than Konate. Saliba and Upamecano have the ability to be very solid in one-on-one situations. They have lots of strength and calmness.
Didier Deschamps said in a press conference

However, the manager did admit that his start wasn’t without its own flaws. Deschamps pointed to certain clearances as factors that the two can improve upon. With the clean sheet against Austria, it is unlikely that Deschamps will change his centre-back pairing for their next game against the Netherlands. That being said, he admitted that the team cannot afford to lose either Saliba or Konate.

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