Former Tottenham Hotspur, Sunderland and Aston Villa striker Darren Bent has told talkSPORT he has been left impressed by two centre-backs – Arsenal’s William Saliba and Newcastle’s Sven Botman – in the Premier League after 13 rounds of matches this season.
After years of spending time out on loan, Saliba has finally broken through into the Arsenal starting XI and has proven to be a major revelation. The 21-year-old has started in all 12 matches for the Gunners so far this season and has helped them keep four clean sheets. Mikel Arteta’s side are on top of the Premier League with 31 points and have a three-point lead over defending champions Manchester City.
It has been a remarkable turnaround in the career of the Frenchman. Having joined Arsenal in 2019, he at one stage looked like he was sure to leave the Emirates Stadium after years of frustration. The club had elected to send him on loan to Saint-Etienne, Nice and Olympique Marseille in the past two seasons.
Meanwhile, Botman had joined Newcastle United from LOSC Lille in July after winning the Ligue 1 title the previous season. He has taken part in 11 of the Magpies’ 13 matches so far this season and has helped them secure the best defensive record in the league.
Newcastle are also currently inside the top four. The performances of Saliba and Botman have been enough for Bent to rate them ahead of Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez.
The Argentine has also dispensed with initial criticism surrounding his height and physical stature. He has been impressive for the Red Devils since joining them from AFC Ajax in the summer. It was a close call between him and Botman, admitted the former England international.
