Martin Odegard’s accidents definitely snatched a glow, nevertheless it was an amazing weekend for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta.
Gunner fully missed West Ham United and beat the supervisor’s three hundredth recreation 2-0, with Liverpool sitting on the Premier League desk after shedding on Sunday.
Nevertheless, it wasn’t a milestone match for the boss as Bukayo Saka made his two hundredth league look in opposition to the Hammers and produced a hundredth league objective involvement.
Hale Ender has been the face of Arsenal for a number of years, and though he has acquired plenty of acclaim full-time, it was one other sturdy present from considered one of his teammates, who claims to be among the best signatures of his Emirates period.
Saka’s 200 Premier League match
Saka made his Arsenal debut below former supervisor Unai Emery in November 2018, changing the sport with Ukrainian aspect Vorskla Poltava. He then made his full debut for the membership at dwelling with Caraba just a few months later.
Nevertheless, his first Premier League look got here on New 12 months’s Day 2019 when he left the bench with Fulham.
The British didn’t seem once more on the competitors till the next season. He began for the primary time, taking off at halftime after taking 45 minutes in opposition to Aston Villa after Ainsley Maitland Niles was despatched off.
Impressively, the 24-year-old’s first league objective involvement marked the following match in opposition to Manchester United.
Three extra assists will come earlier than Hale Ender lastly scores his first objective in a recreation in opposition to the Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The involvement of 9 objectives in 32 video games really improved within the subsequent marketing campaign, however within the 21/22 season, the Talismanic winger started to indicate he may do for the remainder of the league.
The Ealing-born monster scored a formidable tally of 11 objectives and 7 assists in 38 appearances, choked up his first brace with a 5-0 slap at Norwich Metropolis on Carrow Street.
Naturally, England Worldwide has grow to be an more and more essential menace to targets because the seasons progressed. Final 12 months he missed nearly 4 months of motion, however managed to generate 17 objective involvement in 25 league appearances.
Moreover, final season he managed to generate 4 objective involvement in simply 74 minutes of motion in a match in opposition to West Ham at London Stadium. Purpose and three assists.
Saka’s PL Data | |||
|---|---|---|---|
season | recreation | the objective | help |
18/19 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
19/20 | 26 | 1 | 5 |
20/21 | 32 | 5 | 4 |
21/22 | 38 | 11 | 7 |
22/23 | 38 | 14 | 12 |
23/24 | 35 | 16 | 12 |
24/25 | twenty 5 | 6 | 11 |
25/26 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
All statistics via the switch market | |||
General, there’s nonetheless loads to return from Saka, however he is already established himself as among the best within the Premier League through the years.
Nevertheless, there may be one other Arsenal star who shines in opposition to the Hammer, and he seems to be one other Saka-style star.
Arsenal’s new Saka-style star
The excellent news for Arteta is that this group has fairly just a few gamers who might be categorised as his finest signature.
However on this instance, the participant who deserves way more belief than he at present will get, and is sort of a Saka-style star, is Julientimber.
In the summertime of 2023, he was immeasurable to purple and white regardless of the Dutch worldwide becoming a member of the membership from Ajax for a price of round £38 million and lacking the entire 23/24 season via ACL accidents.
He might not bombard the pitch up and down in the identical explosive manner as Jeremy Frimon, however the 24-year-old is the again wall, and his achievements have grow to be a extra aggressive outlet final 12 months or so.
For instance, FBREF is at present ranked within the prime 9% of fullbacks within the prime 5 leagues of through-ball in Europe, prime 10% of progressive passes, prime 12% of goal-making actions, and prime 12% per 90.
Wooden Scout Report | ||
|---|---|---|
statistics | Round 90 | Percentile |
Deal with (to the third) | 0.62 | High 1% |
NPXG/Shot | 0.14 | High 7% |
Blocked path | 0.73 | High 7% |
Go accomplished % | 86.5% | High 8% |
GCA (shot) | 0.05 | High 8% |
By way of the ball | 0.19 | High 9% |
Deal with (mid-3 days) | 1.08 | High 9% |
Progressive Go | 5.95 | High 10% |
Contact (on the pen) | 2.66 | High 10% |
Purpose Creation Motion | 0.38 | High 12% |
The penalty kick received | 0.03 | High 12% |
GCA (Take-On) | 0.03 | High 13% |
Deal with | 2.64 | High 14% |
All statistics by way of FBREF | ||
On prime of that, the Utrecht-born star has already scored two objectives, offering two assists in simply seven league appearances this season, with the second help resulting in Saka’s penalty.
However whereas his continued enhancements sooner or later are definitely a bonus, what makes the Dutch actually unbelievable is his defensive glow, and the way the membership sees him as “among the best on the earth.”
He’s an absolute rock on the fitting again and at all times what he did in opposition to the hammer.
In his 97-minute motion, he made one clearance, two intercepts, six tackles, and received eight out of 12 floor duels. He was a continuing object from the primary minute to the top.
Now, you could marvel your self: all that is spectacular, however why does it make wooden a Saka-style star of Arteta?
Effectively, merely put, the supervisor can depend on him to place in constantly sturdy performances. He simply does not disappoint him.
Finally, his offensive play improves, and his defensive capability is a part of the league’s finest efficiency, and his constant efficiency makes it tough to oppose analyst Ben Matinson when explaining Timber is “among the best Emirates period signatures.”

