Arsenal legend Martin Keown believes Mikel Arteta has ‘the best’ player in Europe at his disposal after Bukayo Saka lit up a 6-0 win over RC Lens in the Champions League.
The 22-year-old helped to inspire a seismic result at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night with a goal and an assist. Saka set Gabriel Jesus up to double Arsenal’s advantage over Lens before scoring himself. He now has three goals and four assists in Europe so far this season.
Saka went from creator to goalscorer in the span of just two minutes and 20 seconds. Jesus gave the Gunners a 2-0 lead in the 21st minute after Saka prodded the ball into the Brazilian to score. The England ace then stayed alert to score the rebound of Gabriel Martinelli’s shot.
Saka tormented RC Lens as Arsenal swept a 6-0 win
Saka was nearly a one-man wrecking crew as the Arsenal academy product charged through Lens’ ranks to assist Jesus. He received possession from Takehiro Tomiyasu about 35 yards out from the visitor’s net but beat three players. The winger then got a huge slice of fortune.
Arsenal needed a stroke of luck for Saka to regain possession as the ball ricocheted back off Jonathan Gradit into the winger’s path. The Hale End hero then jumped through three more defenders to flick the ball into Jesus. The Brazilian remained composed to drill a shot home.
A long ball forward from goalkeeper David Raya then started the move from which Saka got his goal. Martinelli burst into Lens’ box after a one-two with Kai Havertz before testing Brice Samba. Saka was then in the perfect spot to divert the goalkeeper’s tame parry into the net.
Keown thinks Saka is now ‘the best’ player in Europe
Saka now brags three goals and four assists in the Champions League so far this season. He has also scored four times and created a further five over his 12 Premier League outings this term. No Arsenal player has scored (7) more or assisted (10) more goals than Saka this term.
This season also marks Saka’s first-ever campaign in the Champions League having debuted for Arsenal’s first-team in November 2018. The Gunners returned to the UEFA tournament in 2023/24 for their first time since 2016/17. And what Saka is delivering is astounding Keown.
“This is their first season for a lot of these young players,” Keown told TNT Sports, via quotes by the Daily Mail. “Looking at Saka, we’re talking about the assists and the goals he scores – [he is] the best in Europe right now.”
No player has registered more assists in the Champions League so far this season than Saka with four for Arsenal. He is also the only player with four, ahead of Ivan Rakitic and Warren Zaire-Emery with three. While Saka is part of two of the top six scoring partnerships to date.
Saka feeding Jesus at home to Lens represented his second assist for the Brazilian in Europe so far. He had also assisted the forward away to Lens in their 2-1 defeat in October. Saka has also assisted Leandro Trossard twice. No one else has assisted two players for two goals yet.
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