"Inspirational cardio session", "Has been abysmal today" - Fans slam Arsenal star after 1-1 draw against Chelsea
Arsenal fans on X have slammed Bukayo Saka for his performance in their 1-1 draw against Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday, November 10. The English winger was named in the Mikel Arteta’s starting XI but couldn’t create much spark upfront.
Arsenal and Chelsea entered the contest on the back of contrasting results in Europe, but had the same points (18) in the Premier League standings.
The first half ended in a stalemate, as neither side was able to produce a sustained period of dominance. However, Arsenal broke the deadlock on the hour mark. Gabriel Martinelli opened the scoring for his side after Martin Odegaard’s chipped ball into the Chelsea box found him unmarked.
Chelsea restored parity ten minutes later as substitute Enzo Fernendez found Pedro Neto, who cut inside and drilled a low shot beyond the outstretched hands of David Raya. Goal-scoring opportunities were hard to come by for both sides in the closing stages, and the spoils were eventually shared at Stamford Bridge.
Bukayo Saka, who was named in Arsenal’s starting XI, couldn’t get a sniff at the opposition defensive third as Marc Cucurella did a brilliant job of marking him. Adding to his woes, he was forced off from the game nine minutes from time due to injury.
Before Sunday, Bukayo Saka had either scored or assisted in his last three Premier League games at Stamford Bridge. However, the Englishman failed to produce a goal contribution when faced up by Marc Cucurella.
Saka’s performance was unusual for a player of his caliber, and fans have since taken to X (formerly Twitter) to give their opinions.
One fan wrote:
"Inspirational cardio session."
Another tweeted:
''Saka has been abysmal today'.'
@statmusefc pointed out his poor stats before he was substituted
"Bukayo Saka vs Chelsea: 0 goals, 0 assist, 0 shots on target, 0 chances created, 0 accurate crosses in 81 minutes."
''Where was saka today,'' @StillResistin asked.
''Cucurella had Saka in the Gulag tonight," @LORDJM_ wrote.
''What has Saka actually done lol," @gonisclearlol chimed in.
Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella says Arsenal's Bukayo Saka is a top player
While Marc Cucurella kept Bukayo Saka under wraps, he believes that the Arsenal winger is a top player and hopes he can continue to replicate his performances. Cucurella was tasked with the duty of marking Saka, which he did effectively.
Saka didn’t just fail to score a goal or provide an assist; he also had zero shots on target, created zero chances, and made zero accurate crosses. Cucurella said (via Sporting News):
"He is a top player, we have played a lot of times. There is big respect. It is a good battle and hopefully we can do more of this. I try to stop giving him space. We know he is a special talent."
Chelsea and Arsenal will face Leicester City and Nottingham Forest, respectively, in their next game after the international break.