Eberechi Eze’s sensational strike against Bayer Leverkusen will steal the headlines for Arsenal, but the performance of Bukayo Saka should also be appreciated.
The Gunners cruised into the Champions League quarter-finals with a comfortable 2-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen at the Emirates Stadium.
VOTE for Arsenal’s Man of the Match against Bayer Leverkusen
Eze was excellent, and his goal set the North London club on their way to victory in the competition before Declan Rice sealed the win.
Rice and Eze were the goal scorers, but it was Saka who ran the show for Arsenal in N5 in the Champions League Round 16 and was the real Man of the Match.
Eberechi Eze was superb, but Bukayo Saka was Arsenal’s best player vs Bayer Leverkusen
Bukayo Saka has looked off the pace over recent weeks for Arsenal; however, against Bayer Leverkusen, the winger showed glimpses of being back to his best.
Eze scored an amazing goal for the Gunners and should rightfully be praised, but Saka might have just edged him to be the team’s best performer on the night.
Saka has been poor recently, and there were suggestions that he should be dropped for the match, although his performance certainly proved the critics wrong.
The 24-year-old achieved an impressive Sofascore rating of 8.8, managing 57 touches, five key passes and three progressive carries.
He also managed the most shots on target in the match, with four in total and was rather unfortunate not to have found the back of the net himself.
It’s perhaps no coincidence that Saka looked at his best with Ben White playing at right-back, as the pair seem to complement one another very nicely.
Saka flourishes when he has an overlapping full-back, with White seeming to do very well and has the intelligence to support the right winger.
Arteta should consider giving White more minutes in the team, certainly so with Jurrien Timber set for a spell on the sidelines.
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