Saliba, 25, sat down with his centre-back partner Gabriel for a joint Canal+ interview that served as a public acknowledgement of what they both know is coming on Saturday afternoon at the Puskás Aréna. The subject was Ousmane Dembélé, the reigning Ballon d'Or winner and PSG's most dangerous attacking weapon.
The two defenders are France internationals alongside Dembélé. They know him. That familiarity is useful preparation. It does not make the task easier.
"There is one of us who will have to go and get him," Saliba said. "Sometimes it will be me, sometimes him. We know that it's always a pain to play against Ousmane — he's the Ballon d'Or. He's an extraordinary player. It's going to be hard to play against him. But it's also going to be hard to play against us. It will be a good match but we will have to be very focused, and we will try to block them all."
The phrasing was deliberate. Saliba was not just describing PSG's danger — he was reminding them that Arsenal's defensive record this season is exceptional. The Gunners conceded the fewest goals of any club in the Premier League, the Champions League group stage and the knockout rounds combined. Dembélé, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and the players around them will face a back line that has been the most consistent in European football this season.
PSG are still formidable. Saliba acknowledged that directly.
"They were scary last year and they're still scary this year. Nothing has changed. We know that if we want to beat them, we have to be 100%."
Arteta's contribution came through Marca, where the Arsenal manager spoke in the hours before Thursday's open training session in Budapest. His comments on Luis Enrique were warm and revealing — the two men played together at Barcelona in the late 1990s and their careers have run on parallel tracks as managers ever since.
"I have an excellent memory of him, of his approach to young players and of his own game," Arteta said. "As a manager, he has shown exceptional leadership, persevered despite criticism and achieved brilliant victories. He is an example for everyone."
The mutual respect is genuine. It will not survive contact with Saturday afternoon.
PSG won the Champions League last season by beating Inter Milan 2-1 in the final and are attempting to become the first club since Real Madrid in 2022 and 2023 to win back-to-back titles. Arsenal have not won the trophy since the competition's current format did not yet exist — the club's only European Cup came in 1970, in the Fairs Cup.
Saliba and Gabriel will attempt to stop that from happening. Saturday will test both teams' concentration and composure to their limits.