October 1st 2024.
Frank Lampard recently made a bold statement about the partnership between Arsenal defenders William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, stating that they have to win major trophies before being compared to the great centre-back pairings of the Premier League era. Lampard's comments came after both Saliba and Gabriel were included in the PFA Team of the Year for their exceptional performances last season under manager Mikel Arteta.
This season, the duo has continued to impress, with Arsenal only conceding five goals in their first six league games. It's no surprise that they are considered to be the best centre-back partnership in English football right now, with many comparing them to legendary pairings such as Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, as well as Arsenal's own Tony Adams and Martin Keown. Some have even mentioned them in the same breath as John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho from Chelsea, who won multiple trophies together.
However, Lampard quickly shut down these comparisons during an appearance on Amazon Prime's Champions League coverage, stating that it's too early to put them in the same category as these iconic partnerships. "No, not yet," Lampard said. "If they go and win two or three Premier Leagues and a Champions League, then maybe you can compare them."
He went on to praise the young defenders, saying that they are fantastic players who are still growing and have a bright future ahead of them. But for now, it's not fair to compare them to the likes of Terry and Carvalho, who have already achieved so much in their careers.
While it may be premature to compare Saliba and Gabriel to the all-time greats of the Premier League, Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand believes that they are currently the best centre-back pairing in Europe. "Yeah, definitely. I think they are. They proved that the last couple of seasons now," Ferdinand said on TNT Sports.
He went on to praise their different styles of play, with Saliba being more calm and composed while Gabriel is more aggressive and in the mold of Martin Keown. Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher also sees a bright future for the two, stating that they could eventually be mentioned in the same breath as the legendary pairings of John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho from Chelsea, and Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic from Manchester United.
As Arsenal continues to rise under Mikel Arteta, the potential for Saliba and Gabriel to become one of the great centre-back partnerships in Premier League history is certainly there. But as Lampard stated, they will need to win major trophies for their names to be fully recognized alongside the best. Only time will tell if they can achieve that feat, but for now, they are already making giant strides and proving themselves to be top-class defenders.
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