"They are a happy marriage" - Mikel Arteta plays down Gabriel, Saliba scuffle

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 28 February 2023

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta jokes that William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes are 'happily married' following their post-match fracas against Leicester City.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has joked that centre-back partners William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes are 'happily married' and played down the pair's scuffle at the end of last week's clash against Leicester City.

The defensive duo have proven invaluable to the Gunners' title charge this season and were on top form against Leicester, helping Arsenal keep their 10th league clean sheet of the season in a 1-0 victory.

However, eyebrows were raised at the full-time whistle last weekend, as Gabriel and Saliba squared up to one another and appeared to exchange words before the latter pushed his Brazilian colleague away.

There was no undue concern over the pair's actions, though, and Arteta insisted that his first-choice centre-backs are a happy couple in Tuesday's press conference.

"They are a happy marriage - they love playing with each other! But they are really demanding of each other, which is good. Everything is fine," arsenal.com quotes Arteta as saying.

William Saliba warms up for Arsenal in November 2022 © Reuters

"I don't want robots, I want players with feeling, with passion, that they demand [more] from each other and that they have a chemistry, and those two [Gabriel and Saliba] certainly have that chemistry on and off the field. I love that even when winning, they want each other to do better."

Gabriel and Saliba will be expected to start once more when Arsenal host Everton on Wednesday, as the Gunners seek a slice of revenge following their 1-0 defeat to the Toffees at Goodison Park earlier this month.

Jorginho made his debut off the bench for the Premier League leaders in that game, and the Italy international has shone in the middle of the park during Thomas Partey's absence with a thigh injury.

Partey was back in the dugout for the win over Leicester, but Arteta has admitted that the Ghana international is not quite up to speed with his teammates, hinting that Jorginho would be given another go in midfield on Wednesday.

"He hasn't trained much. He had a session and he will train today. It is what it is. He was out for a few weeks and he needs to get back into the rhythm," Arteta said on Partey.

Chelsea head coach Graham Potter during defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on February 26, 2023. © Reuters

Since Jorginho departed Chelsea on transfer deadline day, the pressure has been weighing heavier on Graham Potter's shoulders, and the Blues are now without a win in six games following their defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend.

Potter - who is still being backed by the Chelsea board to turn his side's fortunes around - has said that he has received death threats amid his side's disastrous spell of form, and Arteta sympathised with the Englishman, having been widely criticised by Arsenal fans during his opening year in charge.

"Absolutely, we are colleagues and we all know the pressure and the demands and the uncertainty that this industry has," the Spaniard said.

"At the end of the day, the ball has to go into that net, and there are many factors that can prevent that that are out of your control, so I fully empathise because you suffer and you know how it is when you are going through those moments."

Victory for Arsenal against Everton would lift them five points clear of Manchester City - who are in FA Cup fifth-round action against Bristol City on Tuesday night - at the top of the Premier League table.