Most Gooners won’t admit it, but Bukayo Saka hasn’t been in his finest form recently. The Arsenal right winger has become predictable and easy to mark out of the game.
Having said that, he hasn’t become a bad player this season, but I, like many others, believe he needs to relax. Over the last two seasons, he has played an amazing number of games for a 22-year-old. Playing in the Premier League is considerably harder than in any other league; exhaustion makes it difficult for a player to stay fresh and come up with new ways to offer something different.
On the Take on Podcast, pundit Anton Ferdinand believes it is time for Mikel Arteta to bench the Englishman, much as he has done with Gabriel Martinelli. Ferdinand reckons that time on the bench could offer the Hale End graduate a reality check, allowing him to recapture his form.
“In terms of Saka, sometimes as footballers, and I’ve been there, sometimes you need a kick up the bum. But whether you have one or not, he’s in a rut right now. Sometimes it might be ‘come out, because you’re not good enough right now’,” Ferdinand said.
“It gives him a reality check. I need to up my game again. Because he’s still young, by the way. He’s young, so young players need that. As long as it’s done to them in the right way and they’re dealt with properly after it, they need that. I think Saka is in need of that right now.”
Ferdinand is on point. Yes, Saka is still contributing; in 28 games, he has 9 goals and 12 assists, but his stats could be higher if he took a break to recharge, from which he may return stronger.
Arteta is too stubborn, but the message is clear: Bukayo Saka needs a rest; he should stop overusing him.
Martinelli appears to have had a reality check when benched against Crystal Palace; how hungry he was to impress after coming on as a substitute should signal Saka may regain his ‘hunger’ to amaze from the bench.
Darren N
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