Bukayo Saka says one thing that ‘really hurt’ is now pushing Arsenal in title race

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Bukayo Saka has now spoken out about the disappointment that came with Arsenal being knocked out of the FA Cup by Liverpool.

Prior to yesterday’s 5-0 win over Crystal Palace, Arsenal’s last result was a 2-0 loss at the hands of Liverpool in the FA Cup. Bukayo Saka has now opened up about how that defeat impacted him and his teammates. 

The Gunners have an excellent record in the FA Cup. They have won the domestic knockout competition 14 times in their history, more than any other club. Their most recent triumph came in 2020, when Mikel Arteta had been at the helm for just a matter of months. 

Saka was part of the first team squad at the Emirates Stadium at that time. However, he did not make it off the bench during the final at Wembley Stadium, as the Gunners beat Chelsea thanks to a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang brace.

No player who started that final is part of the Arsenal squad this season. This current Arsenal group will be desperate to land some major silverware of their own, and the FA Cup offered a great opportunity for them to do so. It makes sense, then, that their recent elimination at the hands of the Merseyside outfit stung so much.

The Arsenal players and fans must still have faith that they can achieve something special this season. There are good reasons to believe that Arsenal can still be crowned Premier League champions come the end of the current campaign. Saka feels that their FA Cup heartbreak needs to spur them on in that regard. 

Bukayo Saka on Arsenal’s FA Cup pain

Speaking to TNT Sports, the winger said in the wake of the win over Crystal Palace, “this match was so important to build the momentum again. Going out of the FA Cup really hurt me so I’m sure we’ll use that to push in the Premier League and the Champions League next month. When you look at the league you want to be first – not fourth, or sixth or third. You want to be first.”

Arsenal must now build on this victory over the Eagles. On January 30th they will take on the struggling Nottingham Forest in another must-win match. After that, they will have the chance to exact their revenge on current league leaders Liverpool in a Premier League encounter at the Emirates Stadium. Wins in those two matches could turn the tide of the title race back in the Gunners’ favour. 

Before then, Arteta will now be able to spend more time on the training pitch with his players, working to build on the progress as an attacking unit that they made against Crystal Palace. With just one strike in his last seven Premier League outings, Saka is one player who still needs to rediscover his clinical edge.