October 27th 2023.
Paul Merson has warned Bukayo Saka ahead of Arsenal's upcoming Premier League match against Sheffield United. Saka provided an assist in Arsenal's draw at Chelsea last time out but his performance wasn't his best.
The 22-year-old winger has been Arsenal's most important player this term and has provided four goals and three assists in his opening eight Premier League games. Merson has urged Saka to come up with solutions to keep performing for his team.
"Bukayo Saka has earned his reputation as one of the biggest matchwinners in the Premier League, so teams will start to highlight him," Merson said. "He's got to come up with solutions, as Marc Cucurella marked him out of the game the other day. Saka will be singled out by opposition managers when it comes to their team talks and they might even double up on him, it's up to him to find solutions to make things happen for his team."
Meanwhile, Darren Bent believes Mikel Arteta made a mistake in picking Saka due to injury concerns surrounding the player. "There have been times where I think Arteta has been a little bit arrogant in the way he's picked his teams," Bent said. "I don't think Martinelli looked particularly fit [against Chelsea], I don't think Saka looked fit, and I don't know if they're still carrying knocks but they just didn't look like they had the same pop they usually have when they get the ball."
It looks like Saka will have to come up with creative solutions if he is to remain the top performer for Arsenal. He will be under the spotlight and have to deal with double teams from opponents. It will be up to him to prove that he can still make a difference and help his team get the wins.
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