says that William Saliba reminds him of a young , praising the star for his performance against .
Saliba was key for Arsenal as they secured a 1-0 win against City at the Emirates last Sunday – a victory that preserves their unbeaten start and could prove vital in the title race.
The Gunners hadn’t beaten the Citizens in the Premier League since 2015, and going into the October international break they are second in the table – only behind leaders Tottenham on goals scored.
Many players in Mikel Arteta’s side received applause for their efforts, with Redknapp singling out two stars for praise, selecting them in his Team of the Week.
Centre-back Saliba was his first pick, telling : ‘I thought Saliba was different class against City. He man marked [Erling] Haaland for a lot of the game and honestly, the Norwegian barely had a kick.
‘He’s got a bit of everything in his game, he’s what I would call a “Rolls-Royce” of a defender. He actually reminds me a bit of Rio when I had him at West Ham, just a class act.’
Redknapp handed Ferdinand his debut in 1997, with the defender going onto become one of Manchester United and England’s best ever centre-backs.
While Saliba’s talents have been known for a few years now, Arsenal fans will no doubt be hoping the 22-year-old can help the club win much silverware over the coming years.
Redknapp’s second pick was the club record-signing and defensive midfielder: ‘Declan Rice was signed to be the difference in the big games and boy did the lad play well.
‘He led the team in midfield, it’s like he’s been in that side for years. He’s such a dominating presence in there, so quick, so strong.
‘There’s a long, long way to go this season but with Declan in this form, Arsenal look like they have enough to go one better than last year.’
Arteta’s team will aim to go top of the table when the season resumes, but they’ll face another tricky fixture in the form of a trip to London rivals Chelsea on 21st October.
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