Arsenal began their Premier League campaign on a promising note by beating Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 in their opening match at the Emirates Stadium on the weekend. Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka scored for the Gunners to secure three points.
Both Havertz and Saka also provided an assist for each other to lead their team to a victory. Mikel Arteta’s side will take on a formidable Aston Villa side next Saturday for their first away game of the new season.
Saka Was Fantastic Against Wolves
The 22-year-old English winger once again proved his class for Arsenal on Saturday. A lot of the Gunners’ attacks flowed through the right side, with Saka playing a key role in them.
His pace and dribbling abilities kept the pressure on the Wolves’ defence. It was Saka’s brilliant cross from the right that allowed Havertz to head in for Arsenal’s first goal. The German did not have to move much, as the cross was accurate enough.
Then, in the second half, when Wolves were dominating ball-possession and threatening to equalize, Saka scored with a thunderous left-footer from the inside-right channel to secure the win for the home side.
Havertz had played the pass to Saka, but the credit belonged to the latter for finding the net with a wonderful shot. He thus showed why he is considered among the world’s best in his position.
Saka a Key Figure for Arsenal for a While
Saka is into his seventh season as an Arsenal player. He has played 227 matches for the London-based club, scoring 59 goals for them.
While his scoring rate is not comparable to that of Mohamed Salah of Liverpool, one has to keep in mind that the latter has spent his prime with the Reds, while Saka is yet to reach his. In that respect, he is more comparable to the 24-year-old Phil Foden, who has scored 87 goals in 270 matches for Manchester City.
However, it cannot be denied that Saka is one of three best right-wingers in English football at the moment. Along with Gabriel Martinelli, he forms the most potent duo of wingers in England currently.
Saka was England’s most consistent attacking player in the recently-held European Championships in Germany, too. He outperformed Foden in the tournament quite convincingly, leading England to the final, where they lost to Spain.
He will, however, need to keep playing close to his best if Arsenal is to win the league title this season. The Gunners were pulled at the post by Manchester City in each of the last two terms. While the Cityzens continue to be an exceptional side, Arsenal will fancy their chances of toppling them this time around.
They are likely to face their first stiff test of the season against Aston Villa at Villa Park this weekend. The Gunners cannot afford to have any slip-ups at the beginning of the season. Hence, Arteta will rely a lot on Saka to spur his team on. It remains to be seen how the English youngster responds to the challenge.