“All this is within the brain of the player” - Gael Clichy issues warning about Cristhian Mosquera as Arsenal defender prepares to step in for Saliba

Former Arsenal defender Gael Clichy has issued a warning about Cristhian Mosquera as the young centre-back prepares to step in for the injured William Saliba. The ex-French left-back claimed that the Spaniard will have to get out of his own head and focus on delivering his best performance on the pitch.

Earlier this summer, Mosquera joined the Gunners from LaLiga side Valencia for a reported £13 million fee plus £7 million in add-ons. Although he was initially signed as an understudy for Saliba and Gabriel, he could be thrust into the spotlight earlier than anticipated.

Saliba suffered an ankle injury prior to the high-stakes Premier League clash between Arsenal and Liverpool (August 31). Although he started the game, he had to be substituted for Mosquera in the fifth minute, and Mikel Arteta's side went on to lose the game 1-0.

With Saliba expected to miss crucial fixtures against Nottingham Forest and Manchester City, Mosquera is set to replace him in the starting lineup. Speaking to Metro (courtesy BetMGM), Clichy claimed that the opportunity will be a true test of the 21-year-old's mental fortitude.

The 40-year-old, who madd 264 appearances for the Gunners between 2003 and 2011, said:

"I wouldn’t say they should be feeling too safe or secure because coming off the bench and starting a game are two different things. Starting a game when people know you are going to start, they (the opposition) will have analysed your game during the week, looking at your weaknesses and strengths... He will have been thinking about this the last two weeks thinking, “this is my time, I cannot mess around and miss this opportunity”.

"When you come in, of course you can crumble. I’m not going to say it’s easier but no one expects you to do anything. You were on the bench, you were not expected to play. All this is within the brain of the player. We don’t know how the player reacts. We can talk about the quality of the player of course and he has all the attributes to be a great defender so Arsenal should be happy to have him," Clichy added.

Besides Mosquera, Arteta could also turn to new summer signing Piero Hincapie to play alongside Gabriel in the heart of the defense.

"A different player" - Gary Neville makes claim about Arsenal summer signing

Former Manchester United right-back Gary Neville has claimed that English forward Noni Madueke has looked like 'a different player' since his move to Arsenal.

The 23-year-old's two-year stint at Chelsea (January 2023-July 2025) was a turbulent one. He racked up 20 goals and nine assists in 92 appearances, but was often criticized for his inconsistent performances.

In July, he joined the Gunners for a reported fee of £48 million plus £4 million in add-ons. At first, many fans were skeptic and criticized the move; of late, however, he seems to have won supporters and pundits over with his performances.

On an episode of The Overlap podcast, Neville, in conversation with Arsenal legend Ian Wright, praised Madueke's turn-around since his move to the Emirates. He said (via Caught Offside):

"I would ask about Madueke because, I’ll be honest with you, when he when Arsenal signed him, I’d seen him play quite a lot at Chelsea. I thought … I can see why Chelsea sort of let him go. I tell you – what a different player at Arsenal, and in the England games in the last few weeks."

Up next, Madueke and Arsenal will be seen in action in a Premier League fixture against Nottingham Forest on Saturday (September 13).