William Saliba reveals what Arsenal must do to win Premier League amid Viktor Gyokeres verdict

William Saliba is hoping that Arsenal can keep Martin Odegaard fit for the remainder of the season after his instant impact on Arsenal's form.

The Norwegian missed two months between September and November due to an ankle injury. During this time Arsenal won just five out of 10 matches in the Premier League and Champions League.

Since Odegaard's return to the starting line up earlier this month though, the Gunners have flipped that form on it's head, winning two out of three matches and scoring nine in the process. Odegaard himself has shown no signs of rustiness after such a long layoff, grabbing an assist in each of his three starts since his comeback.

His impact has just about kept Arsenal clinging on by their finger nails in this season's title race. The Gunners are still nine points behind Liverpool, and for Saliba, they cannot afford to lose Odegaard for any longer if they are to close that gap.

"It is a bit different [when he is here] as he is one of the best players in the world," the French defender said after Tuesday's 5-1 win over Sporting CP. "We are so happy to have him back. We are better with him, I hope he doesn’t get injured again. We have to enjoy playing with him. You can see we are better with him.

"He is a top professional, so he worked hard at the training ground. I’m not surprised that he came back like this but it is not easy when you haven’t played for four weeks to come back at this level. He is a top professional.

"[For me, he is] top three [in the world]! I don’t want to pressure him too much. I think top three. I love this guy."

When pressed on who else he thought could challenge Odegaard for the title of the best midfielder in the world Saliba gave a cheekily diplomatic response of: "[Kevin] De Bruyne… and [Declan] Rice!"

Saliba himself has found form since returning from the international break after a difficult October that saw him receive the first red card of his career against Bournemouth. The Frenchman was imperious as he made his 100th appearance for Arsenal in Lisbon.

What made the performance so impressive was the fact that he, alongside his trusted partner Gabriel, was able to nullify one of the most in form strikers in Europe in Viktor Gyokeres. For Saliba, this is a point of great satisfaction.

"We did well," he said. "[Gyokeres] is a good player. We were well prepared and I think we did a great job today but he's a good player."

Arsenal will now turn their focus back to domestic matters this weekend where they face West Ham. Saliba believes this will be the perfect opportunity for them to continue building on the momentum that they've accrued in the recent matches.

"We can feel it," he said of Arsenal's improving form. "The coach has always told us to believe in ourselves because we are a really good team. We had some bad times but we believe the good times are coming. We will stick together and keep going like that."

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