The manager of Arsenal football club, Mikel Arteta is amazed at how his 19-year-old versatile star, Bukayo Saka has been playing lately. The Spanish tactician believes that Saka’s style of play is more mature than his age.
Arteta noted that the way Bukayo Saka demands the ball while playing a game and how he makes decisions while on the ball are unusual of a 19-year-old footballer.
Bukayo Saka has been the go-to guy since December 2020. His form has continued to wow almost every Arsenal fan. The 19-year-old England international has been so impactful at the club that he has scored four goals and provided two assists in Arsenal’s last six Premier League games.
His form has helped Arsenal to maintain an almost perfect form as Arsenal have recorded 5 victories in their last 6 Premier League games. The improved form has taken Mikel Arteta and his boys from the 15th spot to the 8th spot on the league table with 30 points in 20 games.
On Tuesday, January 26, Bukayo Saka put up a man of the match performance against Southampton. He played so incredibly well that he scored his 5th Premier League goal of the season in 18 league games.
✅ Laca ➡️ Saka
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 27, 2021
✅ Saka ➡️ Laca@LacazetteAlex 🤝 @BukayoSaka87 pic.twitter.com/X4uZTrHw4B
At the end of the Arsenal vs Southampton game which ended 3-1 in favor of Arsenal, coach Mikel Arteta described Bukayo Saka as a very humble and respectful footballer whose leadership on the pitch is making the difference for Arsenal.
The Spanish tactician praised the consistency of the footballer and his ability to adapt to different roles especially in the last couple of games. “We play him in different positions and he is adapting well. His finishing, assisting, link-up play is good, it was a really strong performance today”, Arteta said.
“He’s humble, really respectful, and at the same time has that character to demand the ball, to make decisions that are not very usual for his age. We need that leadership and he’s gaining that with his attitude and his performances”, he added.
“He’s all the time asking to train more to improve in areas that he can do better. That was certainly one, producing the final bit in the box to score or assist. He’s doing that much more often.
“If he’s able to do that with the intelligence that he has, with the work rate that he shows on the pitch, and with the capacity that he has to understand the game in different positions, then he becomes a really different player.”
🥁 Your #SOUARS Man of the Match…
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 27, 2021
Well played, @BukayoSaka87! 🥇 pic.twitter.com/nwliuwA9ne
On Arsenal’s 3-1 victory over Southampton on Tuesday, Arteta said: “It’s really tough to win here, they are a good side and they are on great form, people really struggle against them. We showed our intelligence and resilience in the team.”
Arsenal’s next Premier League game is against Manchester United. The league match is scheduled to take place on Saturday, January 30, at 18:30.
