Bukayo Saka insists Chelsea goal was no fluke

There is no escape – this season has been as bad as it has ever been as an Arsenal fan.

The Gunners have become the laughing stock of the Premier League with their disastrous results and even worse performances. But amid all the disaster, gloom and dark clouds hovering over Emirates Stadium, a boy gave hope for a faint rainbow appearing on the horizon.

Bukayo Saka has shone for Arsenal this season, and even when the North Londoners seemed completely out of place and lost at sea, he remained a notable figure on the side. Of course, his good displays were often nowhere near enough to save the Gunners from defeat.

But the 19-year-old had made it clear that Boxing Day was enough enough and, tired of being the bright spark of damp evenings, he made sure the night was full of fireworks.

The England international won the Man of the Match award in Arsenal’s 3-1 win over Chelsea, stopping the rot and hopefully ending the Gunners’ misery.

Saka exemplified everything the under-fire coach Mikel Arteta demands of his team: tempo, technique, combat and the desire to leave it all on the pitch after 90 minutes.

The versatile starlet drifted around the last third of the pitch, running behind Chelsea’s defense or falling deeper to recover and turn on a back line back. His creepy pace and straightforward approach completely caught the Blues off guard, and he was relentless in his attempts to tear Frank Lampard’s side to pieces.

It was his speed and vertical trajectory that led to the awarding of the free kick for the second goal, as Chelsea’s defense saw no alternative but to chop him to the ground as he rushed over the box. of repair.

Granit Xhaka did the rest. Arteta will have told his team of starlets to go back and kill the match in the second half, in order to stifle any ambitions the Blues had for a comeback. Saka did just that, scoring an astonishing third goal – although some may wonder how intentional that was.

He picked up the ball on the right side of the penalty area, looked up and looked to cross the box. However, his delivery flew to the second post, canonizing the woodwork and beyond a coiled Edouard Mendy. He was screaming with luck, but Saka didn’t have it.

“I saw him out of line so I thought I might blow him up.” [Really?] Yeah! He said after the game.

We will believe you this time, Bukayo.

But Saka has shown maturity beyond his 19 years on and off the pitch, explaining how this young core of players, including Emile Smith-Rowe, who started in the Arsenal attack, “grew with each other ”and“ has passion for this club.

“We think we’re a good team that haven’t had any luck with results and red cards, but that’s a big question for our confidence. It was tough, tough, but we got through it and we’re doing our best.

“We grew up with each other, the young players all want to play and have the passion for this club. We want to make the fans happy. ”

These words will be music to the ears of Arsenal supporters, who must fall in love with this group of failed superstars very quickly.

It’s just a small step in the right direction for the Gunners, but the convincing Boxing Day victory over Chelsea signals the end of their miserable run and the start of a new era, with a few local starlets in attendance. front and center of their achievements.

And Saka is the jewel in their crown.