No Arsenal player got close to the five chances Bukayo Saka created against Chelsea, despite the winger not being at his best.
John Terry knew Saka would be a threat to Chelsea, and he was spot on, as no Arsenal player could match what the 24-year-old did in the final third.
Watching on, Saka wasn’t mind-blowingly good, but he didn’t have to be to significantly outperform his teammates.
With no goal or assist, it wasn’t a display that the winger will remember, but it should be used as a reference point for Mikel Arteta when analysing the game with his Arsenal squad for one reason.
Bukayo Saka was by far Arsenal’s biggest threat against Chelsea
Eberechi Eze was the nominated playmaker, starting in the number 10 role, but as usual, it was actually Saka who provided Arsenal with the most threat.
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Saka ended the game having produced five key passes, which put him in a league of his own, as Declan Rice created the second-most chances with two key passes.
The wide-man will be wondering how he walked away without an assist to his name, but when watching how negligent his teammates were in the final third, it’s easy to see how that happened.
Saka’s performance can be taken as a positive, as the only way that Chelsea could stop him was to foul him, drawing three fouls in the game.
Bukayo Saka isn’t actually Arsenal’s best creator in the Premier League
Saka might’ve been incredibly difficult for Chelsea to limit, but when it comes to the overall tally of chance-creation, Rice leads the way.
As per Sofascore, Rice has created 14 big chances this season, the most of any Arsenal player, while Saka has created nine.
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Rice’s tally this season only falls short of Bruno Fernandes, who has created a mystical 19 big chances for Manchester United.
Without Saka and Rice, it’s difficult to imagine where Arsenal would be this season, as the two England internationals are Arteta’s only reliable source of threat from chance-creation.
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