What defines a legend? A contemporary-day nice? For Arsenal, it is Thierry Henry, the membership’s high scorer.
That is Dennis Bergkamp too. That is Tony Adams. All three icons are solid in bronze exterior Emirates Stadium.
That is additionally Arsene Wenger. Though his spell in north London ended with out many trophies, he stays probably the most profitable Gunners supervisor of recent instances. It was he who drove the transfer from Highbury to the Emirates. He was a double winner and a Champions League finalist.
He’s additionally the one supervisor to win the Premier League’s golden trophy. No membership in historical past has ever achieved an unbeaten season for the reason that former English First Division was rebranded. Few gamers have contributed as a lot to the sport as Wenger.
Present supervisor Mikel Arteta has loads to realize earlier than he can get pleasure from comparable recognition, however profitable a serious trophy on the finish of 2025/26 would little doubt assist.
It’s no exaggeration to say that Bukayo Saka is certainly on his technique to turning into a legend.
The place does Bukayo Saka rank amongst former Arsenal gamers on the Emirates?
The date is November 29, 2018, and the setting is a frigid stadium in Ukraine. His opponent was Vorskla Poltava. What was necessary? Now, Saka has made his first-team debut for the Gunners.
He was introduced into the match by supervisor Unai Emery, coming off the bench in a 3-0 win on the age of 17 years, 2 months and 24 hours.
It is protected to say the winger hasn’t regarded again since then. He initially broke into the highest flight as a left-back and even performed in Arteta’s first sport as supervisor, however he has now grow to be among the finest wingers on the planet.
Just some weeks in the past, he netted from the penalty spot within the final sport towards West Ham, taking his one centesimal objective involvement in his two hundredth Premier League sport and cementing his place as one of many biggest gamers of his time on the Emirates.
Journalist Charles Watts, the figurehead of this Arsenal crew, and certainly of the Arteta challenge, claims he was the “greatest proper winger on the planet” in 2023, and whereas Mo Salah might have surpassed him in that regard within the Premier League, he’s nonetheless simply above them.
So far as the Emirates Stadium icon is anxious, he sits very near the highest of the tree. Different candidates embody present teammates William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães. Declan Rice is there too.
Nonetheless, is he near overtaking gamers like Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie? Contemplating how they left, I would should say sure at this level.
Will he surpass Mesut Ozil? The German is without doubt one of the greatest playmakers we have seen within the final 20 years, however even his time in England’s capital led to tears.
Alexis Sanchez additionally left below unusual circumstances, however Saka nonetheless has a technique to go earlier than he can surpass the Chilean’s numbers. He discovered the again of the online 80 instances in 166 video games, most notably scoring 30 targets within the 2016-17 season. Saka’s greatest season in entrance of objective was 18, and there may be room for enchancment there.
There is no such thing as a doubt that the membership’s quantity seven is already an icon on the membership, however who might be subsequent on the expertise conveyor?
Arsenal star might grow to be an all-time participant like Saka
Saka is Hail Finish. He has been an inspiration to many footballers trying to make the leap from the academy to the primary crew.
His affect has already confirmed to be a beacon for the likes of Max Dauman and Miles Lewis-Skelly.
Lewis-Skelly made his England debut final season, whereas Dowman is at present within the information for making his senior debut on the age of 15 a number of months in the past, making him the second-youngest participant in Premier League historical past.
Youngest participant in PL historical past | |
|---|---|
participant | yr |
1. Ethan Nwaneri | 15 years 5 months |
2. Max Dauman | 15 years 7 months |
3. Jeremy | 15 years 8 months |
4. Harvey Elliott | 16 years 1 month |
5. Matthew Briggs | 16 years 2 months |
Dauman is such a shiny new toy that it is easy to overlook about fellow Hail Ender Ethan Nwaneri.
Nwaneri, now 18, was the one participant to look within the Premier League at a youthful age than Dauman, and he has gone from energy to energy since then.
Though he has but to search out the again of the online in 2025/26 and at present performs primarily as an attacking midfielder, he has confirmed to be an actual game-changer in 2024/25.
Final season, whereas Saka was out injured, {the teenager} primarily performed on the best wing and made a exceptional influence. In whole, the younger man scored 9 targets and supplied 2 assists in 37 matches. Certainly one of them included a stunner towards Manchester Metropolis.
Within the course of he earned excessive reward. After his efficiency within the Champions League, TNT Sports activities pundit Joe Cole mentioned that Nwaneri was “probably the most thrilling footballer in England and maybe Europe”. That is actually nice reward.
Cole is certainly a giant fan of {the teenager}, remarking at one other level throughout the season that he was like the good Lionel Messi.
“These touches that he creates in and across the field are, I hate to say it, just like Messi,” mentioned the previous Chelsea star. “I do not wish to put any extra strain on this child’s shoulders. I am positive he’ll deal with it. He is enjoying with loads of confidence and he is a lovely participant.”
After such a powerful season, it is easy to overlook simply how younger this participant is. Now that Dauman is all the fashion, let’s shine a highlight on Nwaneri as soon as once more.
He might have solely performed 145 minutes within the Premier League this season, however he’s already far forward of his contemporaries. Some might argue that he’s forward of Saka on the identical age.
Throughout his first full season as a senior participant for England, he solely beat the goalkeeper 4 instances. Nwaneri had 5 extra.
So there’s nonetheless loads of cause to be enthusiastic about this teenager. Particularly since he has the potential to grow to be, within the phrases of Arsenal content material creator Leo da Silva, “the best participant of all time, like Saka”.
