Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher agree on 'outstanding' Arsenal stars in their team of the year
Arsenal centre-backs Gabriel and William Saliba came in for high praise from Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville as they picked their team of the season.
The Gunners have kept the most clean sheets in the Premier League and will take their title fight with Manchester City to the final day, which is in large part down to their division-best defence.
“We talk a lot about Saliba but Gabriel has been absolutely outstanding,” Neville stated during their awards chat on Monday Night Football.
“There was the potential for him to leave [in the summer] but Arsenal weren’t themselves, they tried different things... once Gabriel came in he was outstanding. Absolutely brilliant.”
Carragher added: “I think if this partnership stays together for the next three, four years we’re talking about them alongside Ferdinand and Vidic, Carvalho and Terry.
“They’re the two that really stand out and those two can go alongside as certainly some of the best partnerships we’ve seen in the Premier League.”
Both pundits agreed on Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Rodri to fill their midfield while Cole Palmer and Phil Foden occupied their flanks.
Neville also named Arsenal captain Odegaard as his player of the year. He said: “I didn’t have to think about it at all, he’s a beautiful player and he knits everything together. An absolutely unbelievable football player.
“If he had a striker that made those darting runs, a [Sergio] Aguero type, the number of chances he’d make is unbelievable.”
The former Manchester United defender added Ben White, Emi Martinez, Erling Haaland and Destiny Udogie to his best XI and described Arsenal defender White as having “developed into a really, really good right-back” who reminded him of former Chelsea stars Cesar Azpilicueta and Branislav Ivanovic.
For Carragher, Ollie Watkins beat Haaland as he picked Kevin De Bruyne, Jordan Pickford and Virgil van Dijk to complete his team.
Both named Chelsea winger Palmer as their young player of the year, Rice as the best signing and Man United as their underachievers.
