The on-loan Gunners defender put in another fine performance as Marseille shut out PSG on Sunday, but his Arsenal future remains unclear

There were just under eight minutes remaining when Lionel Messi’s through ball looked to have sent Kylian Mbappe through on goal on Sunday night.

With the game locked at 0-0, the France international must have thought he was about to strike at the decisive moment in Paris Saint-Germain’s clash at bitter rivals Marseille .

But suddenly the outstretched leg of William Saliba got the faintest touch on the ball as he slid in on Mbappe and the opportunity was gone.

Saliba celebrated as if he’d just scored the winner himself.

It was a match-saving tackle, with the game ending goalless , and one that summed up the start to the season the Arsenal loanee has enjoyed in France.

"It was the best match of my career," the 20-year-old told  Le Parisien afterwards.

“We gave a good account of ourselves, we fought until the end, and because of the atmosphere it was the most beautiful match of my career.”

Saliba has earned plaudits for his performances from pundits across France and has been named in Ligue 1’s team of the month for both September and October.

“The one that impresses me the most is “Willie” (Saliba),” said former West Ham favourite and current Marseille star Dimitri Payet, when asked a question about all of the club’s summer signings.

“Considering what he’s been doing since the start of the season, I don’t understand why he hasn’t played more for Arsenal.”

And that is a view shared by many Arsenal fans, who are still baffled that the centre-back - signed for £27 million ($37m) from Saint-Etienne more than two years ago - has yet to play a single competitive minute for the club.

Saliba’s name trends on social media every time he has a good performance for Marseille, just as it did on Sunday evening.

The way such a talented player has been handled by Arsenal remains a mystery to many, with plenty of supporters believing he should have been given a chance to impress by now.

But so far Mikel Arteta has remained unmoved.