Eight touches of the ball was all that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang managed as Chelsea suffered a damaging home defeat to Arsenal on Sunday. This was reflective of how the Gabonese striker struggled to get into the game before he was substituted off after only 64 minutes, but any player would have struggled up against William Saliba.

Saliba demonstrated all his qualities in the win at Stamford Bridge, playing a key role as Arsenal held Chelsea at arm’s length for the full 90 minutes. He was physically commanding, but also comfortable on the ball. The Frenchman produced a complete defensive performance that underlined the level he is playing at right now.

In his current form, Saliba is the best central defender in the Premier League. His performances are a big reason why Arsenal sit top of the Premier League table with the Gunners growing ever more confident that they can sustain their title challenge over the course of the whole season. Saliba is the defensive bedrock Arsenal have needed for years.

Physically, Saliba can handle himself against the most hardened of Premier League centre forwards. Standing at 6ft 4”, the 21-year-old is an imposing figure and is intelligent with when and how to use that frame to his advantage when going up against opponents. This has helped address the time honoured accusation that Arsenal are soft.

Technically, Saliba has become a key part of the way Arsenal bring the ball out from the back, as demonstrated by the number of times the Frenchman skipped into midfield or down the wing against Chelsea on Sunday. This allows the Gunners to push higher up the pitch and maintain a foothold in possession closer to goal.

Even when Arsenal’s high line is caught out and opponents are able to play a pass in behind, Saliba has the recovery speed to get back and make amends – he has been clocked as the second fastest centre back in the Premier League this season behind only Fulham’s Tosin Adarabioyo. He is a one-man safety net.

Compared to last season, Arsenal are starting attacking moves an average of three metres higher up the pitch this season. Mikel Arteta wants his team to be in an advanced position for as much of the match as possible and Saliba makes this approach viable. Without him, Arsenal didn’t have the security nor did they have the control in possession.

Arteta clearly learned from the methods used by Pep Guardiola to turn Manchester City into a dominant force and he is now attempting to implement similar ideas at the Emirates Stadium. Without the right personnel, though, Arsenal were only able to achieve so much. Now players like Saliba have pushed them further along an upward trajectory.

Of course, Saliba’s form isn’t the only reason Arsenal have enjoyed such a strong start to the Premier League season. The addition of Gabriel Jesus has added energy and bite to the Gunners’ frontline with Arteta’s team winning possession in the final third more frequently than in any of the previous two seasons.

Arsenal are getting their players closer together on the pitch and that is allowing them to construct more intricate, quicker attacking moves. This is aided by the higher defensive line which plays a role in the suffocation of opposition sides and Saliba permits that higher defensive line. He is having an influence on more than just Arsenal’s backline.

The 2022 World Cup could give Saliba another platform to showcase his quality with the 21-year-old a possible starter for Les Blues following Raphael Varane’s injury – recent reports claim Didier Deschamps is considering using him in a back three. As the best centre back in the Premier League right now, nothing is beyond Saliba.