An assist, a pre-assist and a goal. These were Saka’s ‘hard-measure’ contributions to our win on Saturday. If Saka gets space to roam and he is at his best, he is simply unstoppable. Teams know that he is our main threat; if you stop Bukayo you stop Arsenal to a large extend. They double up on him, foul him, deny him any space, and even Saka sometimes doesn’t know how to deal with it.
The question is how can Bukayo be freed to do what he does best to devastating effect? Our attacking options were limited last season mainly because of injuries. But things are different now after the recovery of injured players and some fine transfer business over the summer. Arsenal are in a much better place to make our attack, and Bukayo in particular, much more lethal.
Options:
- With Odegaard and White fit again, the golden triangle is back. Timber is another way to make the triangle approach work really well. So maybe all is fine again and nothing else needs doing.
- Get the ball quicker to Bukayo when he is free. Last season, it often amazed me how regularly Liverpool’s Salah would be receiving the ball in acres of space on the right. Surely opposition teams knew how dangerous he was?! The difference was that Pool worked the ball quicker to the Egyptian and from further away than Arsenal did to our star boy. Just that extra second and bit of extra space can make all the difference. There were a few moments in the game on Saturday when I thought Arsenal players were trying to find Bukayo in space sooner and more effectively than in previous seasons.
- Play Saka behind the CF (LeGall’s option). This is quite an exciting option. Free Bukayo from the overcrowded flank and allow him lots of space to strutt his stuff in a nr10-like position.
- Strengthen the left flank and make it as dangerous as our right flank, whilst also strengthening the distribution and threat through the middle. Arsenal were too lop-sided at best of their times last season. Martin works his magic best on the right with Bukayo and Ben, but this made us predictable, and teams could concentrate on that area of the pitch, thus eliminating or undermining most of our attacking potency. Now, with Zubimendi, Madueke and Gyokeres in the team, Arsenal are much more able to attack from all three areas, and it looks like Arteta may strengthen the left wing further with one more signing. This will help Saka a lot as opposition teams will be pulled apart in defence much more than in previous seasons, and space and time for Bukayo makes a world of difference.
I believe that Saka is our starman and he is now of an age for Arsenal to really, really free him up and allow him to be as effective as possible. Salah won Pool the League last season, Bukayo can do something similar this season. Let’s free up Saka the Beast.
By TotalArsenal.
Bergkampesque 
Lop-sided, not lob-sided. You’re welcome!
Well thank you. Just make sure you are not on the wrong side of the lob. 😉
I agree with 1-2-4 as well, T.
I thought the exact same about Salah last season … As for “4”, the Calafiori-Madueke looks very promising to me; there might be much more to come from our Eternal City lad in particular, imo.
Also, at some point, Mikel will have to take into account Bukayo’s personal ambitions – as anyone having even only a remote interest in football, he knows he’s “Ballon d’Or” material, but he also knows he will never get it at the end of a RW/20 goal-assists season …
Anyway, can’t wait for OT ko – what a long week it’s going to be!
Saka automatically pulls to the right, just as Thierry Henry used to pull to the left, Saka got his goal vs Athletic from pulling into the inside right position, it came naturally to him, I’m sure if he wasn’t happy playing there that he’d have a word with Arteta.
Whilst he has young legs and can sprint past most defenders I can see him continuing to operate in the outside right/inside right zone.
Now there’s no reason why he and Martinelli (or Noni) can’t switch sides, but that’s purely a tactical issue depending on the opposition.
Playing centrally is a definite possibility but most likely as he moves into his late 20’s.
As for now I don’t see it as anything to worry about.
Finally Saka is an Englishman, he’s not winning the Ballon d’Or anytime soon if ever, English players just don’t win those awards…
Legall, Saka’s personal ambition is a good point. Probably the only thing that could lure him away at some point in the future.
I would love to see what Bukayo is capable of in a more central role.
Kevski, I like the theory of keeping Bukayo on the right whilst he is young, and yes, he does seem to feel at home there. But he has such a good shot from outside the box that it is a shame he has so little space and time to utilise it in the current position.
Free, free free free, Bukayo Sakaha!
At this time leave Saka exactly where he is on right,
Maybe later worth a try to move him more central .
Also I don’t see England moving him inside.
Any rate it’s not the time to start experimenting,
The priority is to get all the new players settled in .
That in itself could see him exspaned his game to
New levels and more involved let’s just wait and see,
Like they say proves in the pudding.
Its noticeable that neither William Saliba or Bakayo Saka have extended their contracts, which doesn’t mean it won’t happen before the end of the month but the fact that two of our very best hasn’t signed maybe points towards them not being sure about remaining at Arsenal for the foreseeable future?
Losing out to Liverpool after our battles with Man City may have given them concerns about the trophy winning potential of Arsenal under KSE let alone the management team. They can, after all earn a kings ransom wherever they play, it’s not about money at their level, it’s a given, no it’s more about winning honours…
A sensible approach, David, and welcome to the blog. Settling in of the new players is both something Bukayo can help with and benefit from.
They never choose New Zealanders for the Ballon d’Or, either Kevski. Can’t for the life of me work out why…
Our best shots were DB10 in ’98 and Thierry in 2004.
Kev, Bukayo has another 2 years on his contract, and I have little doubt he will sign a new one. Saliba may be different and Mosquero may have been signed as immediate, or eventual, replacement of the Frenchman. Time will tell.
It was great to meet 84 and his missus on Sunday in Edinburgh. What a great guy and committed Gooner he is. 84 was really impressed with the fitness/constant running ability of the Arsenal players in Singapore. Hopefully it will be the difference against the Mancs on Sunday.
“It’s not the time to start experimenting, the priority is to get all the new players settled in” is a very sensible thing to say indeed. Actually, right now I don’t think for a minute Bukayo will be shifted from his RW spot – if I had to bet on OT starting XI, I’d suggest the same as against Bilbao, with maybe Havertz for Marti …
Shuffling things around all the time isn’t something the great managers do. They stick to what they feel comfortable with (think of how Arsène was maligned for it), whether it be hedgehog setups like Mourinho, or fireworks ones like Cruijff, not to mention those for whom human relations with players come first, like Ancelotti, probably George G. too (the 1989 guys keep saying it was the same practice session over and over again, a military drill really, and yet they moved mountains for him), Ferguson in his own very particular way, Arsène of course … Even Guardiola had to stop his insane experiments in the knock-out stages of the CL in order to win it, eventually.
Anyway, I don’t want to sound like an activist against RW Bukayo (I’m afraid I already do, all the more so since I posted a comment on “HH“ about it too – I start feeling a bit ridiculous for it). I don’t think I’m wrong about what he’d provide in a more central position, but just like the next Arsenal fan I keep being in awe of what he can on the right (I’m thinking of Stu’s remark about “our starboy’s velcro first touch” in particular here, which the lad has found a way to improve again – how?? – and now makes him in control of the situation against his LB at all times …).
He’ll dazzle us again this season, and that’s all that counts.
His first touch is so silky, Legall.
Who doesn’t love a flying winger? You know, Mo Salah put himself right in the frame for the B d O playing in the same position as our Starboy takes up. I think it was Kev who noted that Victor G will attract a good deal of the doubling up off Bukuyu, and that pre season games are showing Mikel’s tactic is to work the ball forward much more quickly. If, as Liverpool do with Salah, Bukuyu is freed up of his defensive duties (and this could be viable when we play two 6’s and Timber rather than Ben) we would then see him more advanced and in more space for transitions.
More of Saka, I feel the goosebumps rising already…
All good points, Stu.
Jakub Kiwior being strongly linked to Crystal Palace, a permanent deal, maybe with add-ons I suspect, replacing Mark G who it seems is off to Liverpool (another player Newcastle miss out on).
Eze to Tottenham is going to be excruciating because there’s no way that Daniel Levy will want to pay the fee Palace require or the wages the player would want, so that should be fun.
Doing a deal with Fulham has really become problematic as they want to try and repeat the Leno (on the cheap) type of deal and Berta it seems isn’t budging.
I did read something about Palace being interested in Nelson a few weeks ago, he would it seems fit the Eze inside left role, which I personally think is his most effective position, the only issue is his fitness…
Andrea Berta has a job on his hands transforming the ‘soft touch’ perception of Arsenal when it comes to sales, maybe reassessing the level of salary we pay to some of our lesser lights might be a way to go because our inability to sell well seems to often be tied up with the wages our players are paid…
All good points, Kev.
I think wages play a role, fitness does too, but, most importantly, the players we did sell in recent years haven’t really done much to make potential buyers feel they need to do business with us.
Biereth has done quite well TA, although he was also sold quite cheaply to Sturm Graz, who then sold him onto Monaco for a decent mark up (we did get some cash from a sell-on clause), Eddie has struggled at Palace, Mateta rules the roost there, Emile has done ok in flashes at Fulham but he’s not a nailed-on pick and there’s the injuries!
The Leno deal was really annoying because we let him go far too cheaply, but getting Kepa on the cheap has lessened the angst. Balogun was a great deal for us but the great striking hope of the US soccer team hasn’t exactly set the world alight.
Mykhitarayan has done quite well since he left us, for nothing, Ozil faded fast, Kolasinac has done ok, but yeah, we don’t seem to extract the maximum value from our sales for sure, the reasons are varied but I guess we tend to keep the good players.
Thanks Kev, that’s an accurate summary.
New Post 🙂