Mikel Arteta gave Bukayo Saka a new instruction vs Chelsea that proved to be so decisive

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Bukayo Saka was Arsenal’s biggest threat against Chelsea alongside Mikel Merino, as the duo combined to score the Gunners’ equaliser.

It was a shock to see Chelsea take the lead three minutes after half-time while playing with ten men.

Moises Caicedo’s red card symbolised a possible turning point for Arsenal, but Mikel Arteta’s side couldn’t capitalise and saw the game end 1-1. 

The Arsenal manager was tactically matched by Enzo Maresca; however, in one battle, the Spaniard got the better of his opponent, all thanks to Saka.

• READ MORE: Bukayo Saka just proved John Terry seriously wrong during Chelsea 1-1 Arsenal

Mikel Arteta made a Bukayo Saka tweak to exploit Marc Cucurella

Before the game, there was a lot of talk about Arsenal’s star winger, as John Terry stated that Saka doesn’t like facing Marc Cucurella.

It was a battle to behold on the right side, but one that Saka came out on top in, which might’ve been influenced by Arteta.

Reporting live from Stamford Bridge was BBC reporter Alex Howell, who made note of the demand he saw Arteta make to Saka. 

The journalist shared that the boss was asking Saka to ‘make diagonal runs’ instead of threatening on the flank in order to dictate Cucurella’s positioning.

Arteta clearly saw the benefit of taking Cucurella away from the touchline, which, once Saka beat him the first time, set the tone for the battle.

The focus on Saka’s handling of Cucurella proved to be decisive for Arsenal, as it was the 24-year-old who set up Merino’s equalising goal, beating his man in the wide areas before crossing the ball onto his teammate’s head.

Saka did what Lamine Yamal couldn’t

Both Arsenal and Chelsea had memorable midweek nights in Europe prior to kick-off at Stamford Bridge.

The Gunners beat Bayern Munich, and Chelsea beat Barcelona, a match that Cucurella starred in, making the attention to detail when it came to the left-back unsurprising.

Cucurella might’ve locked down Ballon d’Or runner-up Lamine Yamal, but when it came to Saka, the Spaniard was unable to get as much of a grip on proceedings.

Unlike Yamal, Saka was able to record a goal contribution by getting the better of Cucurella, beating his man to set up Merino.

It was a leader’s performance from the Englishman, who will be desperate to build on his display when Brentford visit the Emirates on Wednesday night.