According to former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin, Arsenal's most valuable assets are not their headline-grabbing attackers, but the formidable defensive partnership of Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba.
The Unbreachable Arsenal Foundation
Nevin, speaking on BBC Five Live after Arsenal's controlled display against Slavia Prague on 7th November 2025, was emphatic in his assessment. He stated that while the initial 15 minutes saw effort from the opposition, the central defensive pair never looked in any real danger, allowing Arsenal to bide their time and seize control of the match.
The pundit went on to make a bold claim about the team's overall composition, directly addressing the usual concerns over star attackers. "What's the big thing about Arsenal?" Nevin posed. "See last year, oh, they don't want Saka injured, what will they do without Saka? Well, he's wonderful, but you shrug your shoulders now. And the same with Odegaard... it's fine."
Who Are the Truly Irreplaceable Players?
Nevin pinpointed the exact players he believes Mikel Arteta cannot do without. "You look all the way through that team and it's two players. It's actually maybe a third, maybe Declan, maybe Declan Rice," he conceded, before adding, "But if you've got Gabriel and Saliba at the back there and get them together, you really aren't concerned at all. And every other position and every other player is actually kind of in a way expendable."
This stark analysis underscores a significant shift in perception. Under Arteta, Arsenal have built one of the most resilient defences in Europe, a project that has taken several seasons to perfect. The team's current form, with the aim of a ninth consecutive clean sheet against Sunderland, is a testament to this solid foundation.
Depth and Quality: The Real Change at Arsenal
The article suggests that Nevin is both right and wrong. While his praise for the first-choice centre-backs is justified, the key to Arsenal's sustained success this season might lie elsewhere. The report indicates that the squad's injury list is comparable to previous seasons, but a crucial difference has emerged: Arteta now has a deeper pool of quality players to call upon.
This enhanced squad depth, rather than just the undeniable quality of the starting eleven, is what allows the team to cope with absences and maintain their position as the clear best team in the country, their only defeat coming from a spectacular long-range effort.
Ultimately, while no team can win a league title with a leaky defence, Arsenal's transformation into genuine title contenders is built on the twin pillars of a world-class defensive pairing and a bench strong enough to handle the rigours of a long campaign.
