“I’m running out of superlatives” – Arsenal star receives spectacular praise for being at the heart of ‘outstanding performances’
BBC Sports pundit Garth Crooks has lavished praise on Arsenal star Bukayo Saka after he helped his team to a white-knuckle win against Aston Villa on 19 February.
The England international leveled the scoreline at 1-1 in the 16th minute when he scored from an outstanding left-footed volley inside the box. The Gunners seemed destined to draw the game, with the score tied at 2-2 when the clock struck 90 minutes.
However, an own goal from Emiliano Martinez and a subsequent strike from Gabriel Martinelli ensured a 4-2 win for the visitors. Crooks, who played for Manchester United among other clubs during his playing days, named Saka in his 'Team of the Week'.
Justifying Saka's inclusion, he wrote (h/t TheSportReview):
"Arsenal are not just looking like champions, they are playing like champions. Having lost to City in midweek – a defeat Tottenham and Chelsea fans enjoyed immensely – and come back from behind, not once but twice, away from home is the stuff of champions.
He added:
"The man at the heart of these quite outstanding performances is Saka. Like Manchester City’s Kevin de Bruyne, I’m running out of superlatives for this player – his equaliser against Villa was top class.
Crooks concluded:
“He then went on to terrorise their defence, while the entire home team targeted Saka with the rough stuff and Villa fans booed him. Yet none of it made the slightest difference to what was a superb performance by one of the best players in the country."
Saka now has 10 goals and eight assists in 31 games across competitions for Arsenal this season. The Gunners, meanwhile, lead Manchester City in the table by two points with a game in hand.
Arsenal boss issues positive update on Bukayo Saka after Aston Villa win
Bukayo Saka was spotted limping in Arsenal's win against Aston Villa at Villa Park. He was heavily targeted by opposition defenders, particularly Alex Moreno.
Saka required treatment and heavy strapping by the Gunners' physio in the second half. He played the full 90 minutes regardless and helped his team extend their lead over Manchester City over the weekend.
Speaking after the full-time whistle in Birmingham, manager Mikel Arteta said (h/t Evening Standard):
"[Saka]’s fine - he got kicked quite a lot again. But he’s going to have to deal with that, not every week, but every three days. Sometimes in training as well. It’s his game - teams are not stupid and they want to stop him. We need to protect him."
Teammate Oleksandr Zinchenko also came out after the game to demand more protection from referees for Saka.