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Arsenal delivered a stellar performance in a 5-1 thrashing of Manchester City on Sunday, but club legend Tony Adams expressed disappointment with one Gunners star.
Arsenal legend Tony Adams has expressed his disappointment with defender William Saliba despite the Gunners’ dominant 5-1 victory over Manchester City on Sunday. The former Arsenal captain praised the team’s overall performance but was critical of Saliba’s defending, particularly for allowing Erling Haaland to score City’s only goal of the match.
Adams, speaking on Premier League Productions, highlighted Saliba’s lapse in concentration that led to Haaland’s goal. “Fantastic. And likewise, I was really disappointed with Saliba the way that he marked him,” Adams said. “Ball in play, he got too tight with the guy, he should have got in front of him, he’ll be kicking himself in there and we’ve got to learn from that.”
Despite the criticism, Adams was full of praise for other aspects of Arsenal’s performance, particularly the contributions of young players like Myles Lewis-Skelly, who scored his first senior goal for the club. “It’s great to see the kids coming on and playing so well,” Adams added. “Myles has invented this new position, we used to have inside forwards and now we’ve got inside defenders now. Inside left-back!”
Adams also commended Gabriel Magalhaes for his physical battle with Haaland and his cheeky celebration in front of the City striker. “To be honest with you, I’d rather Gabriel lifted a trophy and then phoned him up and said, ‘by the way we’ve just won the league,’ but that’s on its way. But Gabriel I love that, that was my game.”
The victory moves Arsenal within six points of league leaders Liverpool, keeping their title hopes alive. Adams’ comments serve as a reminder that even in a dominant performance, there are always areas to improve and lessons to be learned.
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