William Saliba says that Ousmane Dembélé’s absence ‘helped’ Arsenal

Ousmane Dembélé (27) has been a key player for Paris Saint-Germain so far this season, and so it was a shock to see that he wasn’t included in the squad to face Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League. 

Whilst Luis Enrique denied L’Équipe’s report that he was involved in an argument with Dembélé in the wake of Friday’s win over Stade Rennais, the Spaniard did allude to the Frenchman not “respect[ing] obligations towards the team.” As a result, he was left in Paris, while the rest of his teammates travelled to London. 

Saliba dominant in Dembélé’s absence

As reported by RMC Sport, as part of the disciplinary measures, the France international may yet be fined financially for the disciplinary breach. In his absence, PSG slumped to a 2-0 defeat to the Gunners on Tuesday.

Speaking to Canal Plus post-match, Arsenal defender William Saliba (23), who successfully marshalled the PSG defence, said that he was happy to hear about Dembélé’s absence. “It made us feel good when we heard that he wasn’t here. His absence can only help us. We knew that there were other players to make up for his absence, however,” said the Arsenal and France defender. Omitting his compatriot, Dembélé, was a risk that did not pay off for Luis Enrique and PSG. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle