Bukayo Saka: New long term deal signed 📝

[GoonerJay24]

In theory our play should be going through Ødegaard but do you know what Ødegaard's favourite move has been for the last 3 years? Passing to saka and the whole team waiting for Saka to do something. Have you even been watching us play bro?
Lol saka's being held back by the team? We are top of the league and still in 4 competitions in a season where Saka's hardly carried us. I wish he was as good as you think he is and there is still time for him to prove it this season and in the world cup

For me, Saka isn’t really a natural 433 wide forward. He’s clearly elite level, but he’s a different type of wide player. I’ve always felt a 442 or 4222 would’ve suited him better, and even someone like Smith Rowe earlier in the project.

He’s not a Salah type winger. He’s closer to a Di Maria profile, a wide player who links play, combines and connects attacks. His intelligence allowed him to adapt to the 433 role for a couple of seasons, which is also credit to Arteta’s coaching, but teams evolve and find ways to defend against it.

Right now though I think Saka’s main issue is fitness. He just doesn’t look as sharp as he has in previous seasons.

 

[Geofranco]

What’s more offensive is people throwing him under the bus after his first period of struggle in an Arsenal shirt.

One of our own and picked the club off its back as a teenager.

His performances need to improve but they way people have gone on about him shows the worst aspect of this fanbase.

No loyalty in football or in life really lol. It's what have you done for me lately. Saka is the face of the club returning back to being competitive and respectable. And even in one of his mid seasons after returning from two hamstring injuries, one requiring surgery, he is still the most creative player on the team and should have at least 15 assists by now if he was playing with better attacking options.

 

[MikelHadADream]

Real ones will not forget Bukayo’s contributions, even playing with a broken body

 

[Taylor Gang Gunners]

He looked a little sharper in the first half against Everton. Did a lot right but he seems to be petering out later in games. Fancy him to turn up against Leverkusen.

 

[StefanB]

I think he's playing more than a fair bit against himself with him trying to take responsibility to either raise his game or trying to win awards and stuff, or he's trying to earn that £300k-a-week contract etc.

What makes him such a great player is when he's not trying to force things. His superpower was literally making the right decisions in the right situations. He was Mr. Effective in my mind. All his metrics say he should/-would-/could-ve had more goals and more assists this season considering the amount of passes, shots, dribles etc. etc., which again probably plays even more on his mind. And you could even account in the injuries aswell with having to have surgery and stuff like that. We also know he's one of the worst refereed players in the league. He gets no protection.

I just hope he can get back to playing with no fear again, but there's some factors which seems to be a bit of a hinderance at the moment.

 

[Steps]

What makes him such a great player is when he's not trying to force things.

He and Martinelli have similar issues in this department, though the latter much more so. When it flows, it is beautiful, but when they try to inject moves that simply aren't there it gets ugly, and fast.

 

[Aubamabludclat94]

I think he's playing more than a fair bit against himself with him trying to take responsibility to either raise his game or trying to win awards and stuff, or he's trying to earn that £300k-a-week contract etc.

What makes him such a great player is when he's not trying to force things. His superpower was literally making the right decisions in the right situations. He was Mr. Effective in my mind. All his metrics say he should/-would-/could-ve had more goals and more assists this season considering the amount of passes, shots, dribles etc. etc., which again probably plays even more on his mind. And you could even account in the injuries aswell with having to have surgery and stuff like that. We also know he's one of the worst refereed players in the league. He gets no protection.

I just hope he can get back to playing with no fear again, but there's some factors which seems to be a bit of a hinderance at the moment.

I think he was playing quite well at the beginning of the season despite not getting the numbers he should've. Looked a little shaky after his return from the hamstring issue but I do think around end of 2025 he was looking like he was on his way to being fully back, despite still not getting the production we're used to. In the past month or so though, I do think he's been underwhelming, but I didn't fully match this latest Everton game so I can't comment too thoroughly on it. I just know he can play better than this and HAS played better than this even just a couple of months ago

 

[Geofranco]

I think he was playing quite well at the beginning of the season despite not getting the numbers he should've. Looked a little shaky after his return from the hamstring issue but I do think around end of 2025 he was looking like he was on his way to being fully back, despite still not getting the production we're used to. In the past month or so though, I do think he's been underwhelming, but I didn't fully match this latest Everton game so I can't comment too thoroughly on it. I just know he can play better than this and HAS played better than this even just a couple of months ago

He was getting back to form before he suffered the second hamstring injury, and has been hit or miss physically since then. He had one of best games of his career against Fulham earlier this season.

 

[Tnegs]

He’s been getting himself into good goalscoring positions and with a bit of luck he would have a lot more goals this season. It does seem like he has a big chance in every recent game with the opposing keeper pulling off a top class save to deny him. The hamstring injury has obviously affected him and he needs to adjust his game to it. Give him some time and he will be back to world class level.

 

[Artisan]

He's been constantly making poor decisions and trying to hero-ball too much. Decision making was his biggest asset and can't be explained away by injuries. If it wasn't for his intelligence, then there wouldn't be much in it between him and Noni as the past few performances have shown.

 

[High Elbow]

For me, Saka isn’t really a natural 433 wide forward. He’s clearly elite level, but he’s a different type of wide player. I’ve always felt a 442 or 4222 would’ve suited him better, and even someone like Smith Rowe earlier in the project.

He’s not a Salah type winger. He’s closer to a Di Maria profile, a wide player who links play, combines and connects attacks. His intelligence allowed him to adapt to the 433 role for a couple of seasons, which is also credit to Arteta’s coaching, but teams evolve and find ways to defend against it.

Right now though I think Saka’s main issue is fitness. He just doesn’t look as sharp as he has in previous seasons.

He is capable of playing better than he is atm thats for sure. Our reluctance to play through the middle leading to our over reliance on him on the right is my main issue to be honest as I dont think he is THAT good.

People are blaming his big injury last season but he came back and almost immedialtely looked great against madrid and it didn't look like the injury was holding him back against psg either. There's also games this season where he has been moving quite freely. He is just not in the best form no need to make excuses guys

 

[Aubamabludclat94]

Thought he played much better yesterday imo. Looked like he had a point to prove to makeup for that midweek stinker.

 

[nWoneri]

Still poor, and selfish, I find him not creating any chances for our CF, and besides him taking good corner kicks, I think he is very, very out of shape and form.

Can't beat his player, his shots are just very basic at the moment.

Think his spot is up for grabs on that right side if Noni goes inform.

I really hope he starts showing a glimpse of his old self, since this form doesn't warrant 150k per week, yet 300k.

Sorry if I'm too harsh but he has to do better.

 

[Jasinho]

At this rate Dowman might snatch Saka's place in the team before the end of the season. He's been absolutely dire for most of this year and it's peaked in the last few games.

 

[razörist]

He’s really washed its sad to see

 

[dka1]

I think it's harsh to pile on the player in the one season he's been off, when on the whole he's been fantastic for us.

But I will say, if him not looking for Gyokeres is to do with not rating Gyok, then with all due respect Saka, you've not been great recently, so you have no right to think that way.

Play him the ball when the chance is there, and please park your ego.

(The caveat being that I am assuming a lot here, I know).

Outside of that, I have full faith that Saka will find form again.

 

[Aubamabludclat94]

Another slightly meh performance imo. Definitely played better than the away leg though. Has a nice understanding with Ben White and we saw a bit of that today. 6/10 type of performance

 

[Geofranco]

Another slightly meh performance imo. Definitely played better than the away leg though. Has a nice understanding with Ben White and we saw a bit of that today. 6/10 type of performance

He needs Ben White, Ødegaard, Havertz and Mr. non-consensual to really thrive in this system. All these players are better playmakers than what he has to work with now, Partey used to find him early before he was double teamed giving him more opportunities to isolate the fullback and build rhythm.

 

[nWoneri]

He needs Ben White, Ødegaard, Havertz and Mr. non-consensual to really thrive in this system. All these players are better playmakers than what he has to work with now, Partey used to find him early before he was double teamed giving him more opportunities to isolate the fullback and build rhythm.

So for him to thrive he needs to have 5 specific players around him?

I'm sorry but 300k per week player can't have that luxury, I'm ready to give him a season off and write it completely, but every run in for the title he has been abysmal so far and this season he has been crap for a whole year.

I know how much he did for the club and how great he is, but if others can take months and months of criticism and Saka can't then we have nothing to talk about. Time to show what he can do since this upcoming period is probably the most important we had so far.

Others are not the issue, he is the issue and he has to do better as a creative outlet - not as as selfish winger whose first thought is just to keep his head down and shoot without looking up, that makes him no different from Martinelli who everyone bashes at every chance.

That being said - I have full faith in Saka that he will come to fruit again, this season? I hope as much.

 

[Geofranco]

So for him to thrive he needs to have 5 specific players around him?

I'm sorry but 300k per week player can't have that luxury, I'm ready to give him a season off and write it completely, but every run in for the title he has been abysmal so far and this season he has been crap for a whole year.

I know how much he did for the club and how great he is, but if others can take months and months of criticism and Saka can't then we have nothing to talk about. Time to show what he can do since this upcoming period is probably the most important we had so far.

Others are not the issue, he is the issue and he has to do better as a creative outlet - not as as selfish winger whose first thought is just to keep his head down and shoot without looking up, that makes him no different from Martinelli who everyone bashes at every chance.

That being said - I have full faith in Saka that he will come to fruit again, this season? I hope as much.

Those players actually know how to link play, it's not that they themselves are special talents. But even then, Saka still had to create magic on his own on a regular basis. Same thing with England, Saka has played with different players under different managers and in different systems and has thrived. After his injuries, he can't carry the team this season and actually needs help from other players. That's why I was glad the team got Eze, he needs more creative players like this, him and Dowman to take some of the pressure away, Nwaneri can be that player too, but Arteta does not know how to develop attacking players who are not work horses.