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Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger has heaped praise on Arsenal centre-back duo of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes. According to the former Chelsea defender, the Gunners' centre-backs are currently the best in the world at their position.
When asked on the podcast show Inside Scoop which defenders are currently operating at the top level, the Los Blancos star replied (via @Culturecams on X):
"Saliba and I like Gabriel from Arsenal as well."
Rudiger then explained his reason for choosing the duo, citing their amazing partnership and transformation in recent years. He said:
"If you see Arsenal, like the two centre backs who are playing together, they are doing since two years now, they're doing an amazing job. Like the transformation from Arsenal, that was a bit before and now, and those two are the pillar of it."
The German also highlighted the individual qualities of Saliba and Gabriel, saying:
"You have with Gabriel the more aggressive leader and for example Saliba is, this brother plays clean. No, really, you have to give it to him. You know, he looks like a silent leader."
William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes have received praise for their impressive partnership in Mikel Arteta's defensive setup. The duo is considered among the best center-backs in the Premier League and Europe.
This season, they have kept five clean sheets in eight games in both the league and UEFA Champions League, conceding only five times during that period. Last season, with the duo leading the defense, the Gunners conceded the fewest goals in the league (29).
Rudiger, meanwhile, is also considered among the top centre-backs in Europe. His dominant displays in Chelsea's defensive setup earned him a move to Real Madrid in 2022, where he has proved to be a pivotal player.
Chelsea legend cites what Arsenal's defensive duo must do to earn 'best Premier League centre-back partnership' status
Chelsea legend Frank Lampard believes that Arsenal's duo of Saliba and Gabriel must win major trophies before they can compete with some of the Premier League's best center-back partnerships. At the Blues, Lampard played alongside John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho, who formed one of the league's most feared centre-back pairings.
Speaking recently on Amazon Prime Video, when asked if the Arsenal duo could be compared to his former teammates at Chelsea, Lampard said:
"No, not yet. If they go and win two or three Premier Leagues and a Champions League then maybe you can compare them."
"Listen, I’m not putting them down. They are fantastic, young and they’re growing all the time. It’s not fair to make that comparison because this is all ahead of them. But at this point, no. But what they’re doing at the minute is great things. But yeah, win some stuff, boys, and you can get in that conversation fully," the Chelsea legend added.
Saliba and Gabriel have played a pivotal role in the North London club's rise under Mikel Arteta over the last two seasons, and were named in the PFA Team of the Year last term.
