William Saliba has sent another timely message to Mikel Arteta after helping Saint-Etienne reach their first cup final since 1982.
The 18-year-old played the entire game as his side secured a last-minute winner to beat Rennes 2-1 in the Coupe de France semi-final. Ryad Boudebouz scored in the 94th minute to secure the win.
Les Verts will face Paris Saint-Germain in what will be a repeat of the 1982 final which they lost on penalties after extra time ended 2-2. In PSG's semi-final this year, they beat Lyon 5-1 away from home. It was 1-1 until the Fernando Marcal was sent off on the hour after which the Parisians got their other four goals.
Saliba proved vital at the back alongside Wesley Fofana as they kept Rennes at bay, giving their side a chance to steal victory in the dying moments.
The young centre-back ended the game with the most ball recoveries (10), two clearances, an interception and one aerial duel won on the defensive side of the ball.
He also made an impact with the ball at his feet as had the most touches in the game (89), made the most passes (77 with a 90% completion rate) with six of them being played into the final third.
One of these passes was key as it led to his side's late winner. The ball broke near halfway so he charged forward from centre-back to take it, dribble forward and fire a pass to Denis Bouanga on the edge of the box. He was tackled instantly but the ball fell to Boudebouz who fired into the bottom corner.
Saliba also played a part in the first goal, playing a first touch pass out to Lois Diony who crossed for Timothee Kolodziejczak to head home.
He did concede the penalty for Rennes' opener, however. Rafinha made his way into the box off the right and as Saliba engaged him, he cut inside leaving no option but to bring him down.
Saliba endured tough times when he returned from injury earlier in the year but much of that was down to Claude Puel's experiments with the Saint-Etienne side.
The manager switched to a back three midway through the season which the 18-year-old struggled to adjust to.
Since reverted back to a four-man defence, however, Saliba's form has picked up again. Although this hasn't seen his side produce consistent wins, his defensive contributions have stood out.
For instance, at Lyon he made seven clearances, two interceptions and two tackles. Against Reims he made nine clearances and four interceptions but was let down by Yann M'Vila conceding a last minute penalty. At Brest, he won five headers, two tackles, made two interceptions and two clearances.
Nevertheless, he will have a shot at getting the perfect farewell at the club that has made him what he is today.
