Arsenal secured a 2-0 victory over Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday.
The Gunners picked up a fifth-straight league win with an impressive display at Turf Moor.
Declan Rice was handed the man of the match after playing a part in both goals scored.
The Englishman delivered a fantastic corner in the lead-up to the opening goal. He doubled the club’s advantage with a fabulous header from a lovely counter-attack.
Speaking after the 2-0 win, Rice was particularly delighted with the performances of Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori on the day.
The midfielder said that the back four are ‘something special’.
He told BBC Sport (via Premierleague.com): “You’ve got two centre-halves and two full-backs who live and breathe defending and every duel means something to them.
“If you even look at my goal, we’re defending a long throw, but big Gabi [Gabriel Magalhaes], he heads the ball like his life depends on it and we break.
“I think when teams play against us, they get set and try to keep a lot of people behind the ball. But in those moments when the game opens up and we can stretch teams, we took advantage of that today.
“It was a big moment, but the back four they are something special.”
Arsenal’s Premier League back four are undroppable
Saliba and Gabriel have established themselves as the best central defensive pairing in the Premier League. The duo have a brilliant chemistry and have been flawless in open play this season, barring one moment when Erling Braut Haaland scored.
The duo are undisputed starters in the heart of the defence for the Gunners. The same can be said for Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori. Timber had a wonderful 2024/25 season, where he coped with a heavy workload at right-back in Ben White’s injury absence.
The Dutchman eventually picked up an ankle injury before the season concluded. With White having impressed in pre-season, it was anticipated that the Englishman could reclaim his right-back role. However, Timber has been exceptional since his comeback.
The 24-year-old has two goals and two assists in the Premier League this term. He has also developed a tremendous understanding with Bukayo Saka, making quality overlapping runs. White has gone out of the league picture amid the Dutchman’s sublime form.
Similarly, Calafiori has been brilliant, having got over his injury troubles from his debut season. The Italian got the nod to start over Myles Lewis-Skelly at Manchester United in August, where he scored the winning goal. He has not looked back since.
The former Bologna man has three goal involvements. He has been brilliant as an inverting left-back and has managed the most shots among full-backs. His performances have meant that Lewis-Skelly has been limited to starts in other competitions.
It is quite clear that the current Premier League back four are undroppable under manager Mikel Arteta.