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Keown raves about Arsenal star – “Saka didn’t hide”

Arsenal legend raves about ‘brave Saka’

Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown has come to the praise of Bukayo Saka, after the winger was instrumental in England finding an equalizer against Denmark.

In his column for the DailyMail, the Gunners legend, who made 400 appearances for Arsenal and 43 for England said, “England conceded their first goal of this competition and needed to show character to get back into the game.

“That courage came from their youngest player in 19-year-old Bukayo Saka, and it justified Gareth Southgate’s selection of him over his competition for that right-sided position. Saka loves to run at his opponents.”

‘After going down, Saka didn’t hide’

Saka running at opposition defenders has become a common theme for Arsenal fans. Now it’s becoming mainstream for the England fans too. At just 19 years, he doesn’t look phased while taking on players 5-10 years older than him.

“The pressure was on Southgate’s players (after conceding). But Saka didn’t hide. He stood up, and he got his team back into the game with his energy down that right-hand side.”

Saka, who has made already made 88 appearances for the Gunners first team and seven for the national team (three in the Euros) is not phased by anything that comes his way.

First it was his debut for Arsenal against German side Frankfurt, where he looked part of Arsenal’s first team furniture, rather than an academy player who was being handed his maiden game.

Conor Coady and Tyrone Mings carrying Arsenal’s star boy

Then came his England debut, where he played out of position at left-wing back. But Saka looked as comfortable there as he has looked in various other positions that he played for Arsenal.

His versatility and drive is hard to match, especially when you consider he’s still only a teenager.

There should be no price tag on him. He’s invaluable to Arsenal, representing every value our club is all about.

 Yash Bisht

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30 Comments

  1. At 19 , what a player, he is so different to Wilshire and his humility is paying off, he is making it difficult for the coach to drop him. Lots of kudos to MA for his vast improvement, I know some people might say UE introduce him but MA showed him his best position and helped him develop, I hope Martinelli can follow suit and stay off physio room. Thumbs up to Edu for tying him to long term contract, those are few positive in this regime

    1. That would require Martinelli to actual start a run of games and not take 2 months to played after being in full training.

      1. He with have to up his game and earn a spot on the team especially now that we have 2 big performer(Pepe and Saka), and Auba, we can’t just play him because he needs to play, and if you are referring to last season, the kid had an average season and his performance dropped since coming back from injury, excepts a few flashes he didn’t do much

    2. Saka and Kane has only trained together for barely 2 months but look at the connection and awareness, if only our strikers could understand how to get the best out of our good wingers it will help attacking

  3. Everything about Bukayo Saka is ‘right’. Fantastic performances and we should all be proud of him. With ESR, Gabriel Martinelli, Joe Willock and Floarin Balogun and the others how fortunate we are. Let’s hope that they all nurtured, played and treated well….they are our future. Those players could easily be here for 10 years or more. The owners and managers will not be here for that long.

  5. Yes Adega, I agree Arteta himself
    As far as they prefer old aged Kia Joorabchan players like Willian,Luiz, Cedrac and of late Coutinho and Neto we’re in trouble.

    When he brought in Odegaard he pushed ESR to the wing even though Odegaad proved no better

    I hear there’re planning to sell ESR to fund Whyte

    1. You heard??????. name source or chill out. Areta is being good by saka. And Saka is repaying the faith. Now marty got to do the same thing. Areta is not selling Rowe or Saka. So check the fake news.

  6. Selling ESR is or for that matter should be out of question. As for Saka no amount of words are sufficient to describe his drive, enthusiasm and quality, he is a real gem, a boon for Arsenal. Saka, ESR, Willock, Martinelli, Tierney, Balogun represent the Arsenal of the future and hope they are carefully nourished to play long term for Arsenal.

  7. I have to keep pinching myself that he’s an Arsenal player!

    We never built a team around the amazing Cesc, and this must not happen with Saka. Otherwise he, like all our other top players pre 2018 will keep leaving us.

  11. I see nothing too special about saka until he consistently starts adding up goals&assist to his game.pepe&willock are currently more productive than saka so stop the hype

    1. Walcott scored more goals than Pires, and Ljungberg, but guess who I’d prefer on the wings?

    2. It seems you know little about football.
      Saka is gradually becoming worldclass and looks undroppable. Seems you also do not know how productive Saka is.

  12. Agreed there is nothing special abt him, I Guess thats why Southgate starts him b4 SANCHO, FODEN and GREALISH Even diehard sp*urs fan see that

  13. Even Rashford was unused. Saka is the England best Player at this tornerment. Either any body like it or not. Try and ask the coaching staff and the entire England players, is best known to them. Saka all the way.

  14. If Sancho is valued at 90M and Jack Grealish 100M, then Saka must truly be worth 120M, especially in light of his recent stellar performances for England. Emery uncovered a gem!

    1. I’d put Saka’s grooming and step up down to Ljunberg.
      Man was amazing with the U23s

      1. I don’t think Saka was the only under 23 player. Where are the others Ljungberg groomed?

        Credit to Emery for giving him the chance on the first team. He actually believed in youths.

  16. Saka is beginning to prove a lot of people wrong. I remembered someone condemning southgate for picking saka for Euro becos he dropped a certain player from a club he supports.

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