'It's Liverpool again': William Saliba jokes about Premier League title race after Reds lose two in a row

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Two of France’s best centre-backs will be battling for the Premier League title once again this season.Arsenal now sit top of the table after the Reds lost their last two matches in the league, but only one point separates the contenders heading into the international break.Ibrahima Konate and William Saliba are the two best that France have to offer in terms of centre-backs, and they find themselves back to competing on the same side over the next week.Both players were eyed as potential Real Madrid transfers, but the situation with Saliba has changed, given that the player has now signed a long-term deal with the Gunners.Konate is not in the same position as he has yet to sign an extension to his Liverpool contract, which is set to expire in the summer of 2026, a concern for fans despite his recent poor performances.Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty ImagesWilliam Saliba jokes Liverpool will win title again after Ibrahima Konate jibeHowever, the 26-year-old is still competing for Arne Slot’s side until then and is looking to win a back-to-back league title with the Merseyside club this year.His French counterpart in Mikel Arteta’s side is still looking to win his first title with the Gunners after losing out for the past two years in a row to Liverpool and Manchester City.While on duty for their national side, the pair are friends and are always up for trading friendly jibes towards one another, no matter what.READ MORE: Alongside Konate, Real Madrid have ‘genuine interest’ in signing £35m Liverpool playerWhilst signing some autographs for fans waiting by the training ground, Konate was handed a picture of himself kissing the Premier League trophy to sign.After he signed it, he quickly joked to Saliba: “It’s yours this year.”Despite it being a joke about where both have now found themselves in the title picture, the Arsenal player quipped: “No, it’s Liverpool again, gotta put the pressure on them.”🏆👀 Liverpool's Ibrahima Konaté (26) teases Arsenal's William Saliba (24) whilst signing a pic of him kissing the Premier League trophy: "Hey Wilo, it's yours this year."Saliba responds: "No, it's Liverpool again, gotta put the pressure on them."pic.twitter.com/Ke1PjtHY0s— Get French Football News (@GFFN) October 8, 2025 View Tweet Both men are, of course, only having some friendly banter with each other, but it does show where their ambitions lie at this stage.Ibrahima Konate may need rest instead of playing for FranceKonate, before the start of the break, had found himself limping off injured in the Chelsea game, where Liverpool dramatically lost 2-1 at Stamford Bridge.While it is not intended to be a serious injury for the Frenchman, he has been spotted training in separate sessions with Kylian Mbappe for now, ahead of the country’s games.But it may be a good idea for him to have a rest, considering how he has performed for the Reds in recent games and the fact that he may not be too close to 100%.If he is benched for the two games, it will help him be ready for the Manchester United game, which will be very important to the title ambitions.