Arsenal defender William Saliba has fired back at the club’s doubters, insisting that winning the Premier League has finally silenced the mockery.
“We Just Do It Better”: Saliba Hits Back at Set-Piece Criticism
The French centre-back admits that for years, the squad endured relentless jokes about their second-place finishes.
Opponents and pundits frequently predicted that Arsenal would collapse whenever they sat on top of the table.
“There were a lot of jokes, people made fun of us,” Saliba told L’Equipe.
“Even when we were top of the league, they were saying that at some point we were going to bottle it and drop back to second place.”
He accepts that football banter comes with the territory. But he makes one thing clear: the only real answer is victory.
“If you want to change that, you just have to win. Now that we’ve won it, they can’t say anything anymore.”
Saliba also addresses criticism surrounding Arsenal’s style of play. Critics have pointed to their frequent set-piece goals as a flaw. The defender rejects that notion entirely.
He observes that every Premier League team now prioritises long throw-ins and corners. Arsenal simply execute those situations better than anyone else.
“It’s true that sometimes we score a lot more from set pieces,” Saliba admits.
“Now you see, in the Premier League, everyone does long throw-ins, everyone focuses on corners — it’s not just us. We just do it better than the others. So, that’s life, and we’re going to continue like this.”
Saliba has consistently impressed at the heart of Arsenal’s defence. Before this season, his only silverware was the Community Shield.
Now he owns a Premier League title, and Mikel Arteta’s side will chase more glory in 2026/27.
Next up for Saliba is the World Cup with France. Les Bleus face Senegal, Iraq, and Norway in the group stage.
That means a reunion with familiar Premier League rivals: Martin Odegaard and Erling Haaland.
Saliba hopes to return from the tournament with his first international winner’s medal.
