Steve Nicol has named Arsenal’s William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes as the best centre-back partnership in the Premier League right now.
Speaking on ESPN FC, the pundit feels the Arsenal duo could put Mikel Arteta’s side right in the mix for the title should they keep up their current form.
Arsenal currently boast the best defensive record in the Premier League after 13 games played.
The Gunners shipped three goals in their opening three games of the campaign while Gabriel Magalhaes was out of the side.
Ian Wright has recently admitted he was worried about Gabriel at the start of the season. But Arsenal have only conceded seven times in 10 games since he rejoined William Saliba at centre-back in early September.
While Arsenal haven’t been at their best in terms of their attacking play, they are proving to be a difficult side to beat at the moment.
And after moving to the top of the table with a 1-0 win at Brentford on Saturday, Steve Nicol was full of praise for their centre-back duo.
Nicol claims Gabriel and Saliba are the best centre-back partnership in the Premier League
Nicol believes should Gabriel and Saliba keep up their current form, it could help Arsenal lift the title come May.
“If Arsenal have Saliba and Gabriel playing the way they are for the rest of the season, then absolutely they’ve got a chance,” he said.
“It doesn’t look like anybody’s going to blow anyone away as far as goals, which means it’s maybe going to come down to whose defence is the tightest.
“And you can’t argue that Saliba and Gabriel have been the best centre-back partnership in the Premier League.”
Saliba and Gabriel have formed a formidable partnership over the past year.
Arsenal’s form took a real hit last season when Saliba was injured and their partnership was ultimately broken up at the business end of the campaign.
Arteta will be hoping to keep the duo fit and at their best this time around as he bids to deliver an elusive title to the Emirates Stadium.