William Saliba reveals how he’s already ‘taken revenge’ against Enzo Fernandez for World Cup defeat with Arsenal

Since Fernandez’s £107 million ($143m) switch from Benfica to Chelsea in February 2023, six weeks after his World Cup triumph, the Argentinian has endured a miserable time against Arsenal. The Blues, once the dominant London force, have found themselves repeatedly outclassed by Mikel Arteta’s slick, fearless side. The numbers don’t lie. Arsenal have lost just one of their last 12 meetings with Chelsea in all competitions, winning eight and drawing three.

It’s a complete reversal of fortunes. Not long ago, Chelsea were the bullies of London, smashing Arsenal in cup finals and league clashes alike. But under Mikel Arteta, the Gunners have flipped the script. Now it’s Arsenal who dominate the derby, and Saliba is at the very heart of their new golden era. The towering Frenchman has become one of the most reliable defenders in Europe, elegant on the ball, ruthless in duels, and impossible to intimidate.

Asked if he’s already settled a score with Fernandez domestically, Saliba couldn’t resist a sly smile. “So far, I haven’t lost to him with Chelsea,” he said. “So, yes, I’ve had revenge with Arsenal on Chelsea. But it’s clear that, of course, when a team beats you, even if I hadn’t played against Argentina because I was on the bench, it’s the same thing. When a team beats you, the only thing you’re waiting for is to play them again. And if we do things well and qualify, I think we’ll have a way to get our revenge. Even if it’s not what we want, to go to the World Cup and necessarily get our revenge, we just want to win. But if we come up against them [Argentina], of course, we’ll be happy to get our revenge.”