Arsenal 'ahead of Liverpool in the title race' because of Gabriel and William Saliba - Rio Ferdinand

Rio Ferdinand believes that the central defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba gives Arsenal the edge over Liverpool in the Premier League title race.

Kai Havertz took the headlines with his 89th-minute header sealing a 1-0 win over Brentford at the Gtech Stadium, which sent the Gunners a point clear of Manchester City at the top of the table.

However, the performances of Gabriel and Saliba also caught the eye, and Ferdinand says the duo will play a key role in their attempt to dethrone City.

“The two centre-backs, they'll be the reason why I would put them ahead of Liverpool in the title race to challenge someone like Manchester City, because you can trust those two implicitly at the moment,” Ferdinand told TNT Sports.

“They're bang in form and that partnership is only going to grow the way they're playing at the moment.

“They don't mind coming [to] places like this and having to fight. That's the big difference as well. There are some players that when it's good and going well they look good.

"These guys don't mind rolling up their sleeves as well and doing the ugly stuff, which is a real testament to them as a partnership.”

Saliba missed much of last season’s run-in through injury, as Pep Guardiola’s side ultimately overhauled Arsenal to claim the title.

Crouch stopped short of saying that the outcome would have been different if Saliba had stayed fit, but felt Mikel Arteta’s men could have pushed City much closer with the Frenchman in their team.

“It’s difficult to say [if Arsenal would have won the title], I think Manchester City well deserved the title, but it might have been closer because on the evidence of what we're seeing now, it looks like a real partnership that's here to stay.

“They're so comfortable in one-v-one situations, they're calm on the ball and of course with Declan Rice in front of them, that's half the reason why they've got such a good record defensively."

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