William Saliba has reminded Enzo Fernandez that Chelsea are yet to beat Arsenal since his move to Stamford Bridge nearly three years ago.
Fernandez joined Chelsea in a £107 million deal from Benfica in February 2023, just six weeks after he played a key role in Argentina’s victory at the World Cup.
The 24-year-old was named young player of the tournament in Qatar as Argentina beat France on penalties in the final.
Saliba was on the bench for that game but has since established himself as a pivotal figure at the heart of France’s defence under Didier Deschamps.
When asked what separates France from Argentina and Spain, who are considered the two favourites to win the World Cup next year, Saliba said: ‘The World Cup is in eight months. What sets us apart from Spain and Argentina is that they won the major competitions before the 2022 World Cup and the Euro.
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‘But they don’t scare us. I already hope we qualify and get our revenge at the World Cup.’
Asked if he can get revenge on Fernandez when Arsenal play Chelsea in the Premier League, Saliba replied: ‘So far I haven’t lost to him with Chelsea. 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.’
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