BBC pundit says one Arsenal star is ‘just starting’ to hit form before Liverpool

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Former West Ham United winger Matt Jarvis is expecting Arsenal star Bukayo Saka to raise his level even further in the coming weeks. 

Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka was back amongst the goals as Arsenal battled to a 2-1 win against Nottingham Forest last time out.

The 22-year-old Hale End academy graduate faces an even tougher test this afternoon, as Arsenal are set to welcome Liverpool to the Emirates Stadium for an all-important Premier League clash.

Saka will need to be at his best if he is to have a deciding influence on the match, and Arsenal will almost certainly need Saka to be at his best if they are to claim a vital three points.

A victory would launch the Gunners right back into the heat of the title race. Defeat, however, would leave Mikel Arteta’s side with a mountain to climb if they are to be crowned champions this season. 

Arsenal are certainly capable of beating Liverpool, though, especially on their own patch in north London. If they are to do so, though, then the likes of Saka, Gabriel Jesus, and Gabriel Martinelli, amongst others, need to build on the impressive outings they have produced in the last couple of matches.

Matt Jarvis, speaking on the BBC Radio Five Live Football Daily podcast, believes that Saka is on the verge of catching fire this season. He said of the 32-cap England international, “he was so influential in the way they played last season and this season he’s just starting to get into the form that we saw, so that’s a huge positive for Arsenal.”

The challenge now facing Arsenal star Bukayo Saka

Liverpool will likely have identified Saka as Arsenal’s major threat. Jurgen Klopp will probably have instructed his defenders to afford extra attention to the attacker and to double up on him at every opportunity.

This is something that the Arsenal man is getting used to. Saka has already spoken out publicly about the increased level of attention he has habitually been afforded by opposition defenders this season.

This attention has not always been fair, either. The winger is one of the most fouled players in the Premier League, and Arsenal have already made a complaint to PGMOL about the lack of protection from referees that they feel Saka receives. 

This the price of being a top class player, though, and Saka needs to find a way to shine in spite of it. If he can do that on a regular basis, then as Jarvis has predicted, he will soon get back to the levels that he was able to produce week in, week out last season.