"He has discipline and big character" - Granit Xhaka hails Arsenal teammate as a 'proper leader' after strong start to Premier League season

Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka has hailed his teammate William Saliba as a true leader despite the Frenchman's age (21).

Saliba had to wait three years for his Arsenal debut after signing for the Gunners and has finally got his opportunity this season.

Mikel Arteta's side have enjoyed a blistering start to the new Premier League campaign and the Frenchman has been at the heart of the north London outfit's early success.

Saliba was crowned the Man of the Match on his debut for the Gunners in their 2-0 win against Patrick Vieira's Crystal Palace. However, the French international had a comparatively difficult game against Leicester City on Saturday (August 13).

The Gunners won the game 4-2 but Saliba was responsible for one of Palace's goals after inadvertently heading the ball into his own net.

Former Arsenal skipper Granit Xhaka has backed the Frenchman to shrug off the setback and come back stronger. He said, as quoted by The Evening Standard:

“This is football. People only see the own goal but maybe, hopefully, they’ll see what a game he had. This guy is 21. I think in his first game in the Premier League for Arsenal he was unbelievable."

Xhaka has also recognized the leadership and discipline of the defender despite his age. He added:

“You can see how…he looks like he is 30. He has discipline and big character. He is not so loud, but he is a proper leader in my eyes. You can see he is amazing. He has a lot of quality and yeah, we forget the own goal because for 90 minutes he had a great, great game.”

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Arsenal fans should be optimistic about the ongoing season

The Gunners narrowly missed out on a Champions League spot last season. However, it became quite obvious that Arteta made a lot of progress since taking charge of the club during an uncertain time.

After a pretty solid transfer window this summer in terms of incomings, the Gunners now look like a force to be reckoned with.

The north London giants have made a very solid start to the new campaign but it will be quite a challenge to maintain this form for the whole season.

It is too early to predict the outcome of the season but Arteta's side could surprise many if they can build on their excellent start to the 2022-23 campaign.