Stan Collymore claims Arsenal star has been better than Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham this season
Pundit Stan Collymore has made a bold claim saying that Arsenal's Bukayo Saka has had a better season so far than Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham.
Although Saka has started the season well, he hasn't been at his very best. So far this year, the English winger has managed five goals and assists each from 10 appearances across all competitions.
Meanwhile, his national team colleague, Bellingham, has justified his €103 million price tag since joining Los Blancos in the summer. From midfield, the 20-year-old has netted 10 times and provided three assists across all competitions from 10 appearances.
Claiming that Saka has not allowed his penalty miss for England from the Euro finals in 2021 against Italy affect him, Collymore wrote (via Caught Off Side):
"The reason I’ve chosen Saka is because he’s not allowed missing the penalty for England, which is only two years ago, to affect him.
"Being a particularly young man, a relative rookie, he’s already being thought of as the top man, the game changer at Arsenal and he’s taking that all on board whilst scoring goals and creating chances. Just brilliant."
On the night, England secured a 1-1 draw after playing 120 minutes but failed to get over the line from the spot. Saka was one of the three English takers who missed their penalties.
Clearly, the 22-year-old came back strong after the incident. During the 2022/23 campaign, he managed 15 goals and 11 assists in all competitions, helping Arsenal to a second-place Premier League finish.
Arsenal to assess Bukayo Saka ahead of Chelsea clash - Reports
Arsenal star Bukayo Saka is reported to undergo rehab this week and will be assessed in the coming days before the Gunners face Chelsea next Saturday (October 21).
The youngster missed the 1-0 win against Manchester City (October 8) due to a hamstring problem after he was substituted in the 2-1 loss to Lens on October 3. However, the club's management are hopeful that the winger will be ready to take on their London rivals next week.
Saka also pulled out of international duty for England, who beat Australia yesterday (1-0, October 13) and will take on Italy on Tuesday (October 17).
The north Londoners currently lack a natural left-footed replacement on the right wing. Although Gabriel Jesus performed the role well against Manchester City last Sunday, the Gunners will be hoping for Saka to reclaim his position against the Blues.