Forget his goal, Thierry Henry says Bukayo Saka did something else against Real Madrid that was ‘outstanding’

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Arsenal recorded a historic victory over Real Madrid at the Bernabeu on Wednesday night.

The Gunners cruised into the last four of the Champions League, courtesy of a deft chip from Bukayo Saka and a breakaway winner from Gabriel Martinelli.

Saka was excellent on the night, atoning for a penalty miss with a resolute defensive performance and a moment of magic to open the scoring.

The English winger lived up to his talismanic status within the Arsenal squad with the strike, with the goal likely to be played over and over again for several years to come.

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Thierry Henry heaps praise on Bukayo Saka for performance in Real Madrid v Arsenal

Returning from injury against Fulham, Saka has looked slightly rusty in the last few games, showcasing his offensive ability in short bursts.

However, what has remained consistently excellent is his off-the-ball work, with his relentless work rate and defensive awareness helping to maintain Arsenal’s sensational defensive stability.

Thierry Henry highlighted this when speaking to Saka on CBS after the game, claiming the defensive work from Arsenal’s star man was ‘outstanding’.

“Very proud of him [Saka], especially the way he defended,” Henry said.

“Bukayo, I wanted to talk about, and I’m sure you remember the play, and I said it so many times, a lot of people praise the back four, but you and Martinelli, the way you defend on the wings and the way you come back.

“You did it at one point – you sprinted back to help [Jurrien] Timber when you actually didn’t have to because he had nobody and you stopped the ball in the box, and you cheered yourself along.

“So that for me, forget the penalty and forget the goal – which by the way, was outstanding and I know the feeling of scoring there.

“But, it’s what you do off the ball that impresses me so much, not only you but Martinelli as well, it’s outstanding. You can try to chip the ball next time again, well done.”

Bukayo Saka’s statistics vs Real Madrid

Henry was upset that Saka didn’t have the Arsenal legend in mind when he celebrated his goal at the Bernabeu, but the on-watching Frenchman was clearly exceptionally proud of what the Hale End graduate did against La Casa Blanca.

Managing four shots, the 23-year-old was the Arsenal player who took the offensive impetus for the Gunners, while maintaining his defensive work.

As shown by the data, Saka wasn’t heavily involved in possession, but still managed to carry the most attacking threat.

Making two tackles, three recoveries and winning five ground duels, his persistent desire to help his team win the ball back was indeed imperative.