William Saliba’s stats are shocking – Arsenal’s three losers in win vs Slavia Prague
Arsenal extended their flawless run in the Champions League with a 3-0 win over Slavia Prague on 4 November.
Mikel Merino bagged a brace against Slavia Prague, putting the Gunners top of the table with Bayern Munich.
Mikel Arteta‘s sensational start to the 2025-26 campaign has caught everyone’s attention, including Cristiano Ronaldo who believes Arsenal can win a trophy this year.
Reflecting on the professional victory for the north London outfit, Football Insider looks at the worst performers on the night and the ones who haven’t benefitted from other teammates’ displays.
Myles Lewis-Skelly to be concerned by instant impact of Piero Hincapie
Upon the announcement of the Arsenal line-up, surprisingly, Myles Lewis-Skelly was dropped by Arteta for Piero Hincapie.
The Englishman had started two of the previous three matches in Europe, suggesting he was the Spaniard’s go-to left-back in the Champions League.
Yet, the Ecuadorian was given the nod and he took full advantage of the out-of-the-blue opportunity.
The ex-Bayer Leverkusen defender won 100 per cent of his eight duels and two tackles, stopping any sign of a Slavia Prague attack.
Outside of the stats, the move to play the 23-year-old could’ve also been a tactical choice from Arteta.
As demonstrated by his heat map, courtesy of Football Insider’s data partnership with Opta, the number five hugged the touchline.
This is a stark contrast to Lewis-Skelly’s typical marauding runs in the midfield as he inverts, highlighting the Spanish manager’s preference in this instance to deploy Hincapie for his classic defensive qualities.
Ethan Nwaneri fails to flourish for Arsenal in rare start
Arsenal fans were frustrated by Ethan Nwaneri’s performance against the Czech outfit as he struggled to have an impact.
The 18-year-old had a mixed 65 minutes, shining creatively but letting himself down in his off the ball work.
His pass map offers Gunners supporters encouragement, as he completed 18 of his 19 passes and delivered two key passes.
However, defensively he was found wanting, winning just two of his seven duels and picking up a silly yellow card after successive fouls.
Arteta will be monitoring Nwaneri’s progress at the Emirates and will be instructing him to work harder at his defensive game, suggesting a regular starting spot is out of reach for now.
William Saliba miles off the brilliance of Gabriel Magalhaes
Arsenal’s formidable duo of Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba has been the foundation of Arteta’s success both domestically and in Europe.
Yet, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the Brazilian is beginning to leave the Frenchman in the dust with his dominating displays.
The number six was on top form against Slavia Prague, winning eight of his 12 duels and hitting a passing accuracy rate of 91 per cent.
In contrast, Saliba couldn’t match his high standards, winning just three of his 10 duels as well as giving the ball away on eight occasions compared to Magalhaes’ four.
With the promising Cristhian Mosquera waiting in the wings for the Gunners, the France international must be careful to not dip further in form.
The Spanish centre-back has already shown this season that he is capable of stepping up in the starting XI, potentially putting the 24-year-old’s guaranteed starting spot at risk.