Arsenal’s star boy Bukayo Saka shines in Athens

Arsenal scraped past Benfica in the round of 32 with a late winner from their captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but it was Bukayo Saka who stole the show with his scintillating quality after he grabbed two assists in Athens as Arsenal qualified for the last 16 of the Europa League on Thursday night.

Saka notched up his first assist of the game as he picked a hole in the Benfica back line after 20 minutes and rolled a perfectly weighted through ball past three defenders for Aubameyang who chipped past the keeper with ease for 1-0.

Arsenal looked comfortable in the game after the first goal however Saka’s second assist came at a much more pivotal time in the match as he set up Aubameyang again, this time for the winner in the 87^th minute. Saka picked up the ball on the edge of the area and danced around the Benfica full back with a lightning quick step over before standing the ball up to the back post for his captain who made no mistake with his header from point blank range.

Saka has been the standout player at Arsenal in what has been a very disappointing season for The Gunners so far, with the 19-year-old especially lighting up the Europa league. Since the start of last season, no player has more assists in the European tournament than Saka, who after his double against Benfica has now racked up an incredible eight assists in the Europa League since last season began.

Saka made his first major breakthrough into the Arsenal first team last season after starring in the Europa League campaign. The Englishman earned his first Premier league start under Unai Emery in 2019 against Aston Villa after a breath-taking display in Europe against German outfit Eintracht Frankfurt.

The young star was unheard of when Emery started him against Frankfurt, but proved to become a household name at Arsenal after a five-star performance from the youngster sealed all three points in the first group game of the Europa League.

Saka managed a hat trick of goal contributions in his breakthrough performance, as he assisted both Joe Willock and Aubameyang as well as scoring a beautiful curled shot from outside the box which earned him a place in Arsenal’s first team.

Saka continued to perform after he was handed his first start, with the youngster getting his first assist in the Premier League in only his second game when he slid Aubameyang through to equalise against Manchester United, as Arsenal stole a point at Old Trafford.

Since his breakthrough in 2019, Saka has featured in almost every match for Arsenal, with the star becoming a fan favourite at the Emirates within a matter of months. The youngster had his hard work recognised at the beginning of the 20/21 season when he was handed the number seven shirt, following in the footsteps of some of the greats such as Liam Brady, Alexis Sanchez and of course the illustrious Robert Pires.

One reason that Saka plays almost every game for The Gunners is his versatility on the pitch. The 19-year-old has played in numerous positions all over the pitch since he made his debut, having played left back, wing back, left winger and as an attacking midfielder. Saka has recently settled into his seemingly best position on the right wing, with Arteta playing the youngster there in the majority of games since the beginning of the season.

The youngster’s versatility may be a key attribute in the months to come as he attempts to break into the England team for the Euros later this year. Saka has competition in almost every position for the England team however with his recent form it would be hard for England manager Gareth Southgate to keep the Gunner out of his team for the tournament in Summer.

If Saka wants to make the squad for the Three Lions this year, he will have to continue to impress Gareth Southgate domestically. Arsenal will still try to challenge for a top four position, however that seems almost out of reach at this stage of the season, with European success looking like The Gunners’ number one priority after they drew Olympiacos in the round of 16 in the Europa league.

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