August 17th 2024.
During the post-match press conference following Arsenal's 2-0 victory over Wolves in their Premier League opener on Saturday, Mikel Arteta was asked about Bukayo Saka's tendency to cut inside onto his left foot. The Arsenal manager couldn't help but smile when he heard the question, and went on to make an interesting comparison between Saka and the legendary Lionel Messi.
Arteta praised Saka's performance, along with that of his teammate Kai Havertz, who also scored in the match. When questioned about Saka's cutting inside, Arteta responded, "Good players, you know... With Messi, I know he's going to come in here and put the ball there. He does it all the time. It's the quality of the players."
There has been much debate surrounding Saka's status as a world-class footballer, despite his impressive performances for Arsenal and in the Premier League. This debate even caught the attention of former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, who was trolled by Arsenal fans on a flight to Porto for stating that Saka was not yet world-class.
Ferdinand explained that while Saka has been "unreal," he has not yet proven himself on the biggest stage, such as the Champions League. This sparked a comparison between Saka and Messi, who is widely regarded as the greatest footballer of all time. Messi has won four Champions League titles and numerous other accolades, while Saka has only won one FA Cup and two Community Shields since joining Arsenal's academy in 2008.
Despite this, Saka has become a crucial player for Arsenal in recent seasons and has shown great potential. As Arteta mentioned, it all comes down to the quality of the players. Only time will tell if Saka will reach the level of greatness that Messi has achieved, but for now, he continues to impress and prove his worth on the pitch.
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