Wilson: Saka Has the Potential for Greatness
Wilson believes that Arsenal starboy Bukayo Saka has the potential to be among the greats of the game, but only if he can avoid serious injury caused by persistent fouling.
“I see Saka up with the greats… if he is not kicked out of the game,” Speaking to The Telegraph Wilson added. “He is clever, dangerous, and knows when to release it. I love him on one side and [Gabriel] Martinelli, with his sheer pace, on the other.”
Arteta: Saka Needs to Learn Self-Protection
Saka’s manager, Mikel Arteta, has also acknowledged the rough treatment his player is facing. However, Arteta believes that the Arsenal forward needs to learn how to protect himself better within the rules of the game.
“Bukayo needs to learn and improve how he protects himself on the pitch within the rules,” Arteta said. “There was a very thin line with the way he reacted last week and he cannot allow that to take him out of the game and lose his focus.”
While Arteta acknowledges the challenge Saka faces, he also believes that the winger can develop strategies to deal with it.
Arteta: Strategies to Deal with Fouls
“He has been getting kicked since he was 10 years old. Wingers and talented players get fouled a lot and that’s his role in the team. Obviously he attracts a lot of attention. It’s totally normal for the opposition to try to stop creative players and restrict the ball getting to them. That’s a challenge he has to face every week,” Arteta said.
“There are a lot of things we can do in training to help him learn when to take certain balls and what to do with them, how to use his body and how to jump. But it’s very difficult to predict what the opponent is going to do.”
Saka’s Statistical Success for Arsenal
Despite the challenges, Saka is having his best statistical season yet. In 38 appearances across all competitions, he has contributed 16 goals and 13 assists. While he has not scored in his last three league games, he had previously netted seven goals in just five Premier League matches.
