Gary Neville is rarely afraid of diving head-first into an awful Liverpool shout. After the 3-0 drubbing of Manchester United at Old Trafford, for instance, he resignedly said "why not?" when asked if he was sticking to his prediction that his old side would finish higher in the table — but his latest bad take has come by stealth.
On commentary duty for Manchester City vs Arsenal, Neville (and just about everyone else, in fairness) built the fixture up as a crucial clash between the two title rivals. This in itself was something of a slight on Liverpool, who remained in the race for the vast majority of last season, only to run out of steam right at the end.
Of course, that was under Jurgen Klopp, with Liverpool now coached by Arne Slot. But the Dutchman has made a very encouraging start, winning all but one of his games and producing some excellent performances.
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However, sidelining Liverpool in the title discussion was not the worst of Neville's crimes. He also tried to quietly refer to William Saliba and Gabriel as the best two center-backs in the Premier League.
Obviously, the Arsenal duo are an excellent pairing. In the past 10 seasons, Saliba and Gabriel make two appearances on the list of the meanest center-back partnerships in terms of expected goals conceded per game.
However, sitting atop that list is Virgil van Dijk, alongside the criminally-underrated Joel Matip (for the 2021/22 campaign). The Cameroonian was never getting "best in the league" shouts alongside his partner — but that's a whole other article.
Like Saliba and Gabriel, Van Dijk features twice on the list, with his 2019/20 season next to Joe Gomez also one of the best in the last decade. The only defender to make the list with two different partners, he did so in a system featuring marauding full-backs and a hugely offensive outlook, something that could not be said of Arsenal.
Van Dijk will now be seeking to make the top 10 with a third different partner. He has begun the season comfortably on course to make the cut alongside Ibrahima Konate.
How on earth could it be stated as fact that Saliba and Gabriel are the two best defenders in the league while Van Dijk is still plying his trade? It isn't Neville's brashest slight on Liverpool, but it might be one of his most severe.
Going entirely off current levels and ignoring all historical context, there might be some kind of case for Saliba. The Frenchman looks every inch the spiritual heir to Van Dijk when it comes to his pace, physicality, composure and all-round aura, and has the advantage of youth on his side for that extra half-yard of acceleration.
Even then, it's clearly very close, and Van Dijk almost certainly still offers more in possession. His experience is also a valuable asset in its own right.
As for Gabriel, he has no business being sneaked into the conversation by Neville. Undoubtedly a great partner to Saliba, he has nonetheless not done anything like enough to surpass Van Dijk.
He proved his attacking prowess against Manchester City, bulleting in yet another header, but Martin Skrtel once managed seven in a season for Liverpool. Being an imposing aerial presence is just one part of being an elite defender, and the 26-year-old is simply not the complete package in the mold of Van Dijk or Saliba.
You can make the case that Arsenal has the best defense in the Premier League — although even then, the table would tell you that Liverpool has conceded the fewest goals so far. But even if the Gunners have the marginally better overall unit, that does not automatically mean they have the two best center-backs, a claim we will not allow Neville to sneak past us.
