William Saliba is sensing a positive shift in Arsenal's trajectory this season following a resounding victory against Sporting in the Champions League, hot on the heels of their 3-0 Premier League triumph over Nottingham Forest.
Despite a season marred by interruptions and injuries, there's a growing belief within the squad that they are approaching top form.
Key to their resurgence is captain Martin Odegaard, with Saliba hailing the Norwegian midfielder as one of the world’s best in his position. But even with the upturn in performances, Saliba insists that continuous victories are the only true measure of success ahead of their challenging visit to West Ham.
Reflecting on the team's momentum, Saliba stated: "Yes, we can feel it. The coach has always told us to believe in ourselves because we are a really good team. We had some bad times but we believe the good times are coming. We will stick together and keep going like that.
"It is much better. I think we had two or three weeks before the international break when it was really tough. But now we have played two very good games."
However, Saliba stressed the importance of maintaining their winning form: "It is not enough, we have to keep going like this. There is a big game on Saturday but it is good for the confidence that we won like this in Lisbon. Let’s keep going."
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Odegaard’s return to fitness and form has provided a significant boost, with standout performances against both Forest and Lisbon.
Arsenal's momentum may have waned during his absence, but Saliba has voiced his confidence that Odegaard's return can spark a resurgence, as the Gunners vie to bridge a nine-point gap from Premier League frontrunners Liverpool.
Reflecting on the influence of Odegaard, Saliba observed: "Of course, it is a bit different when he is here as he is one of the best players in the world. We are so happy to have him back. We are better with him, I hope he doesn’t get injured again.
"We have to enjoy playing with him. You can see we are better with him. He is a top professional, so he worked hard at the training ground. I’m not surprised that he came back like this but it is not easy when you haven’t played for four weeks to come back at this level. He is a top professional.
"Honestly, every game I’m shocked because he is doing something new on the field that you haven’t seen. He’s a really, really top player."
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When pressed to rank the best midfielders in Europe, Saliba amiably listed his colleague among the top, chuckling as he said, "Yeah... erm, top three! I don’t want to pressure him too much. I think top three. I love this guy. Who are the others? Mmm... Kevin De Bruyne... and Declan Rice!"
Saliba recently celebrated his 100th outing for Arsenal in Lisbon, having sat out only 20 matches since his debut in August 2022, claiming victory in 65 of those.
Saliba, hailed as one of Europe's elite defenders, takes pride in his performance but acknowledges there's room for improvement. He said: "I’m very proud. Obviously I hope there are going to be many more at this amazing club and I have to keep going. But, yes, it is amazing.
"I just have to keep going. It is not finished. I want to be better and better and better."
