When it was revealed that William Saliba would miss the first three or four months of the season, Arsenal fans were rightly concerned.
The Frenchman and Gabriel have combined to become one of the best central defensive partnerships in the club’s modern history – almost certainly the finest in the Premier League today, too.
But Mikel Arteta and his recruitment staff had been working hard behind the scenes to add depth to the squad, knowing that more quality would perhaps enhance the Gunners’ chances of winning a double, treble or perhaps even more in 2026/27.
And so, in came Ezri Konsa, who has risen from probable understudy to man-mountain in Saliba’s absence.
With Gabriel assured of his starting berth when fit, who will join him in the middle of Arsenal’s defence?
A Case for the Defence
Arsenal have been priced as short as 1/3 in the football online betting odds for the Premier League, with Manchester City – out of form and facing pending charges – out to 7/1.
The betting markets are expecting a comfortable title defence then, but once again that won’t be made easy by a lack of cutting edge in the final third. Arsenal rank fifth in the Premier League for goals scored, and tenth for both chances created and shots on target, so attacking fluidity remains in short supply.
But the Gunners’ achievements in recent times have been built on a solid defensive foundation, with Konsa now a key architect alongside Gabriel.
The 29-year-old was a colossus against Liverpool at the start of November. He made 15 defensive contributions – six more than any other Arsenal player, including two blocks, five ball recoveries and eight clearances.
On any other day, Konsa would have been a strong contender for Player of the Match, but that award went to Declan Rice after another outstanding performance.
He may not be as stylish in possession as some, but Konsa – who forced his way into the England reckoning at the World Cup – is hugely respected by his peers. And he may just have cemented himself as Gabriel’s first-choice defensive partner.
Rolls Royce Returns
Much will depend upon how quickly Saliba can hit the ground running.
The 25-year-old is back in action but will be treated with kid gloves; back injuries, particularly those that leave you out of the game for four months, are not to be taken lightly.
Saliba is a Rolls Royce of a defender, with his best work often hard to quantify in pure stats. He does all the rough stuff that a centre back should – head, tackle, block and clear the ball – but in a classy, understated way.
Opta’s numbers underline Saliba’s importance to Arsenal. The defender completed more passes per 90 minutes than any other Arsenal player in the 2025/26 Premier League season, averaging 67, while the team won 71 per cent of the matches in which he featured, 22 of 31. Without him, Arsenal’s win rate dropped to 57 per cent.
He’s also a key component of Nicolas Jover’s set-piece arsenal, while contributing a pass success rate of 92.9% last term – the fourth-best accuracy rate in the Premier League and an astonishing effort, given that he played more than 2,600 minutes of action.
They say that these are nice headaches to have. And no doubt Arteta would agree… but he can only play two of his three world-class centre-backs at any one time. Which duo will he opt for in the biggest games?