Another game, yet another Bukayo Saka goal contribution. In fact, he had 2 this time! The first was a lovely little dart, which was followed up with an intricate pass to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who made no mistake with the finish. And the second, which proved to the most decisive was a little shimmy with his feet in the 87th minute and an inch-perfect cross to Aubameyang who was clinical once again to win us the tie, breaking the hearts of Benfica fans.
Saka’s rise to prominence has been nothing short of remarkable. He made his debut for Arsenal way back in the 2018/19 season as a 17-year-old. Even back then, you could tell the kid had something about him. But no one could have predicted such a rapid rise since then – not even the player himself.
Unai Emery gave Saka his first Premier League start as a left-winger, but a sending-off meant that Saka had to be substituted and replaced with a defender. In his second league appearance, he assisted Aubameyang at Old Trafford. A simple, but important pass with his weaker right foot as Auba chipped it over De Gea to equalize.
A crisis in the left-back position meant that we needed someone to fill in here. Saka stepped up at the tender age of 18 in arguably the most difficult league in the world and made the left back position his own. When Arteta took over, he was happy to continue trusting Saka in this position, but having seen him in training he knew that playing as a left-back in the long term wouldn’t do justice to his talent.
One game that I was particularly impressed with Saka was the 2-2 away draw at Stamford Bridge last season when we went down to 10 men. Saka and Martinelli were two 18-year-olds, playing their first seasons in the league and they both stepped up. What I liked about Saka was that not only did he defend well, he overlapped at every given opportunity to support Gabi. They fed off each other’s energy and that was something truly beautiful to witness.
With Kieran Tierney’s return, Saka’s stint at left-back was over. In the first game after project restart, Arteta deployed Saka at right-wing against Manchester City. He didn’t have the greatest game and plenty of fans (including myself) were critical of Arteta for playing him on the right. After all, he was very comfortable on the left-hand side, so why change?
In the games that followed, Arteta deployed Saka in a left midfield role – he would overlap as a wing-back, but also drop more centrally in between the lines from time to time. It was a position he thrived in and that earned him plaudits from fans and pundits. From his point of view most importantly, it caught attention of Gareth Southgate who gave him a call-up to England’s senior national team.
Saka’s second start from the right came against Wolverhampton. Once again, he didn’t have a great game, but he scored his first goal in the Premier League with a stunning finish that put Arsenal ahead. It was in the next game, against Leicester City where Saka’s game from the right showed huge promise. In the last 2 games he played on the right, he looked uncomfortable taking players on and awkward when it came to ball reception.
The performance he put in against Leicester convinced me that this was no ordinary kid. He had picked up a new position and this is something for which Arteta deserves credit too. Saka’s weaker right foot is superb. When he’s 1 v 1 with a full back, he has multiple options. The difference between Nicolas Pepe and him is when Pepe goes on the outside, he struggles to dig crosses out with his weaker right foot. Saka, on the other hand, has an excellent balance about him and is able to use his right foot – this gives him multiple options and makes him so dynamic.
This season has not been a good one by any means for Arsenal, but for Saka, he has been a shining light in a team with few sparks. When results weren’t going our way at all between November-December, you got the feeling that if a goal was going to come, it would be through him. Take the Southampton home draw for example. We were so flat, but Saka has that initiative, drive and determination to make something happen for his team and whilst he didn’t get the assist, his excellent dribble led to the opening for Aubameyang’s equalizer.
Many times, you will see youngsters who are happy to come, just do the basic things and try not to make mistakes so they can keep their place. Saka is a bit different in this regard – he wants to win games for his team. This was something he has re-iterated multiple times – that he wants to get goals and make decisive contributions to help us.
Saka has set himself a personal target of 10 league goals this season – and he’s on his way to get it. The best part about him is that even if he’s not having the greatest of games, he always manages to produce quality moments that lead to goals. Since Christmas day, Arsenal haven’t done too badly. We are 5th in the Premier league table since we played with a number 10. As results improved and we found a better balance, you can see Saka consistently on the scoresheet and making game changing impact.
Saka has made the right flank his own and has arguably become our best player going forward. This season, he’s started 11 games from the right – scoring 5, assisting 4 and winning a penalty. Ideally, you wouldn’t want to rely to that extent on a 19 year old, but it is where we are.
Last season, Saka completed more minutes across all competitions that any youngster in the Premier league. This season, he has more goals than all the other teenagers in the league combined. Additionally, he has more shots, chances created and dribbles than any other teenager in the league. The time has come to admit that Bukayo is not just another young talent – he is a sensation.
Where do you think Saka ranks amongst the best teenage players that Arsenal have had in the past decade? Interested to hear your responses in the comments below.