Micah Richards believes Arsenal have one of the best players in the world at making the right decisions on the pitch.
Mikel Arteta’s team strolled to a 1-0 win over Fulham on Sunday, courtesy of a Leandro Trossard strike that came from a corner.
While the Gunners struggled for large periods against a stubborn Marco Silva side, they found a way to emerge from Craven Cottage with the victory and move three points clear at the top of the Premier League table.
Several Arsenal players caught the eye with their performances in West London, although one man undoubtedly stood out above the rest.
Micah Richards says Bukayo Saka is one of the best decision-makers in world football
Bukayo Saka was outstanding against Fulham.
The winger ran the show for the Gunners, carrying the rest of their attack, which looked somewhat disjointed and dysfunctional.
Completing six dribbles, creating six chances and winning five fouls, Saka was by far the most influential player on the pitch.
It was a captain’s performance, and he’s subsequently been given his flowers for his showing. Speaking on the Rest is Football Podcast, former Manchester City defender Richards essentially suggested that Saka is the best player in the world regarding ‘decision-making’.
“Don’t you think his [Saka’s] decision-making is brilliant?” he said.
“When he’s going forward, he rarely misses the pass and if he does make a bad pass, he’s trying to do something maybe spectacular.
“If you look at his decision-making on the pitch, he’s always in the right position, he can beat players, but he doesn’t always take the risk if he doesn’t have to. He keeps the ball more often than not and he’s decisive when he gets into the box.
“When you compare him to others, some wingers might be better in one-on-one situations, but in terms of consistency and decision-making, he’s up there as one of the best in world football.”
Bukayo Saka is still demanding more from himself
Saka was critical of his own corner-taking for much of the game against Fulham.
While he did deliver some poor balls early on, he still provided the match-winning delivery that led to Trossard’s goal.
This clearly highlights that Saka is not satisfied with where he is with his game. He believes he can still go up another level and is eager to be in the very elite bracket in every aspect.
While this may seem like he’s being harsh on himself, the reality is that him going supernova in terms of output is what is stopping Arsenal from breezing past teams with their defensive solidity and cruising past them on both sides of the game.
Every elite football team needs one elite player to produce elite numbers in the final third, and that man is only going to be Saka for Arsenal.
His stats are certainly very good at the moment, but there’s still plenty of room to grow.
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