Former Chelsea manager and player Frank Lampard has insisted that Arsenal defenders Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba must win major trophies before they can be compared to Premier League legends.
Gabriel and Saliba have formed a great partnership under the leadership of Mikel Arteta. Both players were phenomenal in Arsenal’s second place finish last season and have started this season stronger.
Both players were rewarded with a place in the PFA Team of the Year last season and they’ve not shown signs of complacency this season. Their performance has led to comparisons between them and many of the legendary centre-back partnerships of yesteryear, including Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, as well as Arsenal’s own Tony Adams and Martin Keown.
However, Frank Lampard believe such comparison should not happen at this stage.
John TERRY and Ricardo CARVALHO tackle Wayne Rooney during the Champions League finale match between Manchester United and Chelsea (Photo by Eric Renard / Onze / Icon Sport via Getty Images)
Asked whether Gabriel and Saliba were comparable with Terry and Carvalho, Lampard replied: ‘No, not yet.
‘If they go and win two or three Premier Leagues and a Champions League then maybe you can compare them.
‘Listen, I’m not putting them down. They are fantastic, young and they’re growing all the time.
‘It’s not fair to make that comparison because this is all ahead of them. But at this point, no.
‘But what they’re doing at the minute is great things. But yeah, win some stuff, boys, and you can get in that conversation fully.’
While comparisons to all-time greats of the Premier League may be premature, Manchester United legend Ferdinand believes Gabriel and Saliba are Europe’s best based on current form.
‘Yeah, definitely. I think they are. They proved that the last couple of seasons now,’ Ferdinand said on TNT Sports earlier this month.
‘They’re resolute. They’re hard. They can do it in different ways. You’ve got a great blend. Saliba is a little bit more calm and wants to cover and sweep a little bit.
‘Gabriel’s on the front foot, more of a Martin Keown type. [He’s an] aggressive-type player. They complement each other so well.’
