French defender William Saliba expressed his delight at returning to Premier League action and contributing to Arsenal's victory over Nottingham Forest following a prolonged absence last season.
Making his first league appearance since March on Saturday, the centre-back provided a rare assist for England forward Bukayo Saka, who fired a powerful shot at goal, ultimately securing the 2-1 win for Arsenal.
Reflecting on his past success of starting the previous season with five consecutive wins, Saliba emphasised the potential for a similar streak to reignite their title aspirations in the 2023-24 season.
“It was really good to start the season with a win,” Saliba said as Arsenal.com quoted. “It’s never easy to win the first game in the league, and we have done a good game. Unfortunately, we conceded a goal in the last 10 minutes but it’s okay, we learn and will improve for the next game.
“It gives us the confidence to start the season well. We know that we started last season well as well, so we want to keep going to win the second, third and fourth games etc.
Regarding his assist, Saliba admitted: “I didn’t realise immediately that it was me that I made the assist, it was after, and I was happy to give the assist to Bukayo. That’s good, it shows that everyone can assist and score.”
Saliba also highlighted the positive influence of playing in front of the Arsenal supporters, noting: “It’s always better [to play in front of our supporters]. You don’t feel pressure, you don’t feel any pain, it’s good.”
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