Monday, December 16, 2024

Just how important is Saka to Arsenal?

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[BBC]

Just before the summer transfer window closed in August, we asked Arsenal fans to tell us one thing that nobody was talking about at the club but really should be.

Several of our readers said the Gunners needed to secure cover for Bukayo Saka.

Maybe Mikel Arteta was following along as within days, the club brought in a wide option in Raheem Sterling.

But, when all is said and done, it is hard to see how someone really could fill the void if Saka were to get injured.

Seven games into the new season and the winger has provided an assist in all but one Premier League match – making up for it by supplying two in the past game against Southampton.

His seven assists ranks him top in the league, having provided two more than Chelsea’s Cole Palmer.

The England international is also top for chances created, having made 27 opportunities for his team-mates – four more than the trio of Andreas Pereira, Palmer and Dwight McNeil.

It is not just about the chances he is making but the quality of those opportunities too, ranking highest for expected assists (xA) with 3.16.

Saka is not only giving his team-mates the opportunity to score but has taken 25 shots himself. That puts him joint-fourth alongside Gunners striker Kai Havertz.

On top of that, not afraid to get stuck in, he is consistently looking to win the ball to get Arsenal on the attack. He has made the fourth-most ground duels in the league and places in the top 10 for the amount of those he has won.

Slowly but surely, Arteta has been increasing the depth and quality of his squad, but there still seems to be a Saka-shaped hole on the right hand-side whenever he is not available.

*Stats provided by Opta

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