Arsenal may now have their own version of Phil Foden in the title race

Add as preferred source on Google

Arsenal are on the trail of doing something genuinely unprecedented in English football.

Indeed, as we enter mid-March, the Gunners are in the mix for a quadruple, something that has never been done before in English football.

However, if Arsenal are to complete their mission, Mikel Arteta needs to make the right sort of decisions every step of the way.

Sadly, that may mean a couple of tough sacrifices have to be made.

Bukayo Saka hasn’t been great as of late, he has just two goals and two assists in his last 14 league appearances – and, even then, one of those goals was a massively deflected effort against Brighton.

There’s an argument to make that Saka should be dropped for Noni Madueke at this point, and, interestingly, this is very similar to the situation Manchester City found themselves in as they chased the treble in 2022/23.

POV: You’re Mikel Arteta, are you dropping Bukayo Saka for Noni Madueke?

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

Bukayo Saka could be Arsenal’s Phil Foden

Cast your mind back to the 2022/23 season, Manchester City won the treble, but one player who wasn’t heavily involved in the run-in was Phil Foden.

Foden was coming off the back of winning the PFA Young Player of the Year award in 2022, and he was supposed to be the player spearheading City’s success in that period – much like Saka is at Arsenal.

However, as we got towards the business end of the season, Pep Guardiola stopped utilising Foden as much.

Foden didn’t start the FA Cup final or any of Man City’s final three Champions League games that season, while he only started five of City’s last 11 league games too.

City took their poster boy out of the team at that moment in time because his form had dipped, and, sadly, Saka is in the same sort of boat at the moment.

Madueke has been excellent this season, he was the difference maker in each of Arsenal’s last two games, and there is an argument to make he should be starting ahead of Saka.

For years, Saka has been highlighted as Arsenal’s most important player, but now, when push comes to shove, much like Foden did in 2023, he may have to come out of the team.