Everyone who follows Arsenal knows just how good Bukayo Saka is but if there was ever any doubts, he needed just 25 minutes to prove it this weekend.
Saka was a surprise omission from the first XI as the Gunners won out 3-2 at Bournemouth thanks to a double from Declan Rice and yet another from Gabriel.
Saka is already cemented in Arsenal history as one of the best homegrown players to ever emerge from the Hale End academy.
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And while Saka didn’t get the full 90 minutes to show his qualities against the Cherries, there was one key stat from his 25 minutes on the field that shows just how important he is.
Bukayo Saka’s Arsenal impact is obvious
Sometimes, the best players in the world need only a brief time on the field to show how good they are.
As we all saw, Saka laid the third goal on a plate for Declan Rice as he burst in behind the defence to roll into the England midfielder’s path.
That assist was just fine piece of work in Saka’s cameo and we only need look at the stats from the game in its entirety to prove Saka’s importance.
Indeed, in just those 25 minutes on the field, Saka made more key passes – three – than any other player involved in the entire game.
Only Bournemouth forward Justin Kluivert could match that feat in the game and he played 75 minutes compared to Saka’s 25.
Put simply, it showed just why Bukayo Saka has become so vital to this Arsenal team.
Bukayo Saka was being saved for Liverpool
There were some questions asked when Mikel Arteta announced his line up for the Bournemouth game, with Saka the obvious omission.
However, given he got some well earned rest into the legs and still managed to contribute heavily to the win, shows Arteta was spot on.
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In a nutshell, Saka was being saved for what is a massive game against Liverpool this week.
The Reds are already 14 points behind the Gunners but a win for Arteta’s side this week will completely end any hopes Liverpool have of making it two in a row.
Saka, then, will expect to come straight back into the starting XI.
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