"He’s been at the top for a while now" - Paul Merson heaps praise on 'consistent' Arsenal superstar
Pundit Paul Merson has praised Arsenal and England forward Bukayo Saka for the consistency he has shown for the past few years. The forward has begun the season in excellent form and is with the England squad once more for their UEFA Nations League games this month.
Saka has gone from a promising youngster to a bonafide superstar for Arsenal, with 61 goals and 60 assists to his name in 236 games. Still only 23 years old, the forward is one of his club's captains and is one of the most consistent players in English football, judging by his numbers.
Paul Merson opined that Bukayo Saka is at a different level from other similar players because he has thrived against different kinds of opposition. The pundit wrote for Sky Sports about Saka's penchant for finding solutions against different teams:
“Someone like Bukayo Saka’s playing against 10 at the back week-in and week-out, and he’s still performing. He’s been where (Cole) Palmer is for a couple of years and is still finding solutions.
“That’s what you have to do if you want to stay at the top. Teams get smart to you and you’ve got to be one ahead again, and he’s done that. It’s like Scotland having two of the best left-backs last year, Andy Robertson and Kieran Tierney.
Merson also praised the forward for his consistency, extending praise to Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta for getting the best out of him. He wrote:
“Saka’s very, very consistent. He plays light-years ahead of his time. He’s been at the top for a while now, it’s not like people are just trying to work him out. He just comes up with solutions all the time.
“They have a system to play which gets Saka time on the ball. He doesn’t get it with five players round him, he gets it in space and that’s top management from Mikel Arteta.”
Bukayo Saka has contributed two goals and seven assists in seven appearances in the Premier League this season. He is already two assists shy of his tally for the 2023-24 season. The forward has found a different level to his game and has become one of the Premier League's most important players.
Bukayo Saka shares thoughts on Arsenal captaincy
Bukayo Saka has been eased into a leadership role at Arsenal in recent years. He is an academy graduate and one of the longest-serving players in the current squad. The forward is one of the club's captains alongside Norwegian midfielder Martin Odegaard.
Arsenal forward Saka has sported the armband on a number of occasions since the 2023-24 season, and he spoke with Goal about how it feels. The forward came through the club's academy system before debuting in 2018 and going on to become a key player. He said:
“That’s one of the things where I become speechless when people ask me. Everyone knows my journey, where I came from. To take the captain’s armband, walk the lads out at the Emirates Stadium. I can’t put it into words.”
Saka has had the armband in all but one of the side's games since the September international break as Odegaard has been out injured. The 23-year-old will continue to captain the side until the former Real Madrid man returns to action.