William Saliba Sets Record Straight After Viral Photo of His Grandmother Misidentified as Bukayo Saka’s Nigerian Relative

A case of mistaken identity on social media has been corrected after Arsenal centre-back William Saliba personally responded to a viral post that falsely identified his grandmother as belonging to teammate Bukayo Saka‘s family.

The image in question showed an elderly woman in traditional attire sharing a warm moment with Saka on the pitch following Arsenal’s 1-0 Premier League victory over Burnley at Turf Moor on 19 May 2026. The photo spread rapidly across fan accounts, with many claiming the woman had travelled from Oro, Kwara State, Nigeria, to watch her grandson play. Those accounts have since been retracted.

Saliba, 25, moved quickly to correct the record. In a response to a post on Instagram, the French defender wrote: “That’s my grand mother bro!” The clarification brought an end to widespread speculation that had generated significant emotional commentary around themes of Nigerian heritage and family devotion.

The mix-up appears to have stemmed from the woman being photographed alongside Saka, Arsenal’s No. 7, leading observers to draw an incorrect connection. In reality, the post-match pitch moment captured Saliba with his own grandmother, not a relative of the England winger.

Saka did have his own family present for the occasion. The 23-year-old was seen spending time after the match with his fiancée, Tolami Benson, though the grandmother featured in the viral image had no connection to him.

Beyond the social media story, Monday night’s result carried significant weight in the Premier League title race. Kai Havertz headed home the only goal of the game from a Bukayo Saka corner in the first half, securing all three points for Arsenal at Turf Moor. The victory extended Arsenal’s lead at the top of the Premier League table to five points with one match remaining in the season.

Arsenal’s final fixture of the campaign is against Crystal Palace. A positive result in that game would deliver the club’s first top-flight title in 22 years — their last league championship came in the 2003-04 season under Arsène Wenger, when the club went the entire campaign unbeaten. The prospect of ending that two-decade wait has intensified scrutiny on every result and, as Monday demonstrated, every moment that unfolds after the final whistle.