Ferdinand snubs Man Utd star for Arsenal man in comparison; PL clubs to blame over VAR | OneFootball

Lisandro Martinez and William Saliba are two of the best defenders in the Premier League.

Rio Ferdinand would pick Arsenal defender William Saliba over Manchester United star Lisandro Martinez in his team as the Gunners man could “be top, top, top”.

Martinez was criticised before he’d even started at Man Utd because of his small stature for a centre-back but the Argentina international soon proved his doubters wrong last season with a number of commanding displays.

However, the 25-year-old did not have the best start to the new Premier League season and he’s now reportedly set for around three months on the sidelines with a broken metatarsal.

Saliba also had his first full season in the Premier League last term in an Arsenal side which pushed Manchester City all the way for the Premier League title.

And Ferdinand chose Saliba over the Man Utd centre-back when asked who he would pick out of the pair in a direct comparison.

Ferdinand told talkSPORT: “I’ll go Saliba. I think Saliba could potentially be top, top, top.

“I think Martinez answered a lot of critics last year, a lot of doubters about his size and stuff like that, fantastic on the ball.

“But like this one [the comparison], I think also you’re helped by the team you play in. He’s in a very solid, consistent team, Saliba. Martinez isn’t.”

Liverpool winger Luis Diaz had a legitimate goal ruled out when the Reds faced Tottenham in north London on Saturday with the PGMOL admitting ‘significant human error’ led to the mistake.

And Ferdinand reckons the Premier League should bring in automated technology to assist VAR after the latest controversy.

“All the clubs had the chance to vote on the technology that would’ve cleared this goal up. The clubs voted unanimously that they didn’t want this technology,” Ferdinad told Vibe With Five.

“So, at the World Cup, it was just purely the technology that would decide an offside based on algorithms and that was it, they would tell you that – it doesn’t account for human error.

“The Premier League clubs decided, ‘we’re not ready to have that in the Premier League this year.’ I don’t know what it was, they voted against it so to see clubs complaining about it is wild to me.

“Let there be no human error in this situation, the technology is there, that’s what VAR is for these days. The human error there was part of it in making the call but the technology should decide all of the offside, there is no debate, there is no offside because the data tells you.”

Ferdinand added: “If there’s decision that’s wrong, you should have 10 to 15 seconds that you can say, ‘stop the game, that decision was wrong.’

“If that had happened this weekend, that goal stands. I think the guy might’ve been in the toilet or eating but his eye wasn’t on it.

“We should be hearing the discussion. The referee should come out after and explain the decision, ‘this has been a mistake on my part or my team have made a mistake.

“The technology told us we didn’t address it properly’ just so fans have clarity. Mistakes happen.”