“We need to do that also away” - Arsenal star Bukayo Saka shares what he told his Gunners teammates before UCL win over Paris Saint-Germain
Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka has shared what he discussed with his teammates before their UEFA Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on Tuesday night (October 1). Having dropped points with a goalless draw in their Champions League opener against Atalanta, the Gunners sought to turn things around against PSG. The English giants hosted the Parisians at the Emirates, winning 2-0.
Kai Havertz opened the scoring with an excellent header in the 20th minute via Leandro Trossard's assist. Arsenal doubled their lead in the 35th-minute courtesy of Bukayo Saka's free-kick.
The England international whipped the ball in from near the touchline and curled it into the back of the net. Mikel Arteta's side are now eighth in the Champions League standings with four points under their belt.
Speaking to CBS Sports after the game, Saka revealed that he emphasized the need for a statement win to his teammates in their team talk before the match. The 23-year-old said (via Fabrizio Romano on X):
"When I was speaking with the boys in the team talk before the game, I told them: we have to make a big statement tonight. We haven't shown our full quality in Europe against big opponents, tonight yes... but we need to do that also away now".
Arsenal's next Champions League fixture against Shakhtar Donetsk is on 22 October.
"I do think this is the year" - Arsenal star Bukayo Saka makes Premier League title claim after PSG win
Bukayo Saka has made a confident Premier League title claim after Arsenal's victory over PSG. The England international believes the Gunners will end their 20-year drought for a league title this season.
The north Londoners came close to winning the league in the last two seasons. However, each well-fought title race against Manchester City saw a similar fate, with Arsenal finishing a close second.
Saka sees a different conclusion to this campaign, backing his side to lift the title. Speaking with the CBS Sports team, Saka was asked by Thierry Henry whether this could be the year.
He replied (via Metro):
"I don’t want to put too much pressure on us but I do think this is the year. I think we’ve been close the last two years and, yeah, we’re getting closer. But yeah, this hopefully will be the year."
The Gunners are third in the league table, level on points (14) with second-placed Manchester City and a point behind league leaders Liverpool.