The Arsenal duo have picked up where they left off last season, making a rock-solid start to the 2024/25 campaign. Mikel Arteta’s side have conceded just one goal in their opening four Premier League matches and Gabriel and Saliba have been central to that impressive record.
They have been mainstays in the middle of defence, with Ben White and Jurrien Timber the chosen full-backs and David Raya the goalkeeper. And while much of the talk is around Raya following his stunning double save against Atalanta, Carragher has chosen to lavish praise on Gabriel and Saliba before Arsenal’s trip to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
“Provided they stay together, we will eventually reference Saliba and Gabriel in the same breath as the two stand-out partnerships of my generation; Chelsea’s John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho, and Manchester United’s Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic,” Carragher wrote for The Telegraph.
“Arsenal must win the Premier League or Champions League for the duo to establish themselves in that hall of fame, but they are making giant strides and are the biggest reason why Mikel Arteta’s side can travel to Manchester City with confidence this weekend.”
When addressing Arsenal’s history of centre-backs, he referenced Tony Adams and Steve Bould, Adams and Martin Keown and Sol Campbell and Kolo Toure, but believes Gabriel and Saliba top even them. “They have brought the best out of each other in their positioning and ability to use their pace to make recoveries,” he added.
Carragher concluded: “The great pairings do not shine for one or even two incredible seasons. After Vidic joined Ferdinand at Old Trafford, United won five Premier League titles and the Champions League. Terry and Carvalho were champions three out of their six years together.
“Saliba and Gabriel have made an impressive start. They need no reminding of what is demanded of them to make the early comparison with the greats of the game stick rather than sound ridiculously premature.”
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