Bukayo Saka’s return at the weekend was not only important for that particular result but also showed Arsenal will be a completely different proposition for Atletico Madrid this week.
Saka’s return – culminating in a goal and an assist – gave Arsenal a fresh impetus in attack that they’ve missed for weeks.
After being injured, Saka has been nursed back and Mikel Arteta took him off at half-time, clearly with tomorrow’s clash with Atletico in mind.
Now, Arteta has revealed just how Saka is feeling. And it’s good news for Arsenal.
What does Bukayo Saka need to do to be considered Arsenal’s greatest ever Premier League winger?
Mikel Arteta says ‘the pain is gone’ as he praises Bukayo Saka’s return from injury
There is absolutely no doubting the size of Saka’s return at this stage. With a crucial run-in both domestically and abroad, the England winger’s comeback is crucial for the Gunners.
Indeed, that is a sentiment shared by Mikel Arteta, who was speaking about Saka at his pre-Atletico press conference.
“He makes a major difference. He made two actions which decided the game and we know what he is capable of,” Arteta said of Saka.
“He’s come back in the most important part of the season. I think he’s fresh. His mind is fresh. And I think being able to impact the team like he did is a big platform for Tuesday.
“I think the pain’s gone. It was restricting his ability to do certain actions and he felt loose, he felt relaxed, and I think we had the Bukayo that we know back.”
Bukayo Saka has a chance to write his name into Arsenal folklore
At just 24, Saka is already well on his way to becoming one of the greatest Arsenal players of all-time.
He’s already played over 300 times, has scored or assisted more than 100 goals, and consistently has a massive impact on this team.
Now, though, Saka has the chance to put himself into the Arsenal history books by firing them to the Champions League final.
Bearing in mind, only the great team led by Thierry Henry has managed to reach the Champions League final, it would be quite the achievement if Saka could be the next man to lead the Gunners forward.
These are the sorts of week that the best players in the world cherish. Saka, then, will be determined to step up and show he’s Arsenal’s main man.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
