Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta praises Bukayo Saka for major change: 'That defines a top, top player'

Bukayo Saka contributed 2 assists and a extremity arsenic Arsenal came from down to bushed Southampton - and Mikel Arteta is delighted with the improvement of his crippled this season

Bukayo Saka is present producing match-winning moments erstwhile it matters most, according to Mikel Arteta.

Saka was Arsenal's prima subordinate connected Saturday arsenic they came from down to bushed Southampton 3-1 successful the Premier League. Cameron Archer gave the distant broadside a astonishment pb aboriginal successful the 2nd fractional earlier Saka led the fightback with 2 goals and an assist.

It was his walk from which Kai Havertz equalised aft Flynn Downes surrendered possession and the Arsenal winger past crossed to the backmost station for Gabriel Martinelli to pat successful for 2-1. Saints threatened to equalise connected a fewer occasions earlier a mistake by Yukinari Sugawara allowed Saka the extremity that his show warranted precocious on.

“That’s the maturity and the steps that players person to do," Arteta said erstwhile asked astir Saka's betterment this season. "He’s been agelong capable successful the squad present – he’s earned the close to person that role. He believes successful that, helium has the capableness to alteration games, determine games, similar galore different players. If you privation to beryllium astatine the top, players person to make those moments and he’s surely done that today."

Asked if his caller performances should beryllium considered 'normal', Arteta replied: “No, I deliberation he’s different measurement up of wherever helium was and particularly erstwhile – bash it astatine home, bash it away, large games erstwhile the squad needs him, not erstwhile it’s 3-0. That’s what defines a apical top player.”

Saka is inactive lone 23 years aged but present has 61 goals and 60 assists successful 236 games for Arsenal. Asked if we should disregard his youth, Arteta added: “There are the stats and you can’t get distant from that, what he’s doing astatine his age. He’s unbelievable.”

The right-winger has started each 10 games for Arsenal crossed each competitions this season, arsenic good arsenic 2 Nations League matches for England. He present has 3 goals and 7 assists for the Gunners and Arteta believes his signifier is specified that resting him is retired of the question.

Asked if he's been tempted to permission him connected the seat this season, the Arsenal brag replied: “Yeah, determination is and we person taken him disconnected a mates of times this season. And we person to negociate the load of him. But astatine the infinitesimal he’s successful a bully place.”

Arteta was besides afloat of praise for Havertz, who has present scored 7 goals successful his past 7 games astatine the Emirates Stadium. “He takes the ball, runs with the ball, he’s connected precocious press, helium goes afloat gas, the mode helium holds the shot up, the presumption helium takes successful the box," Arteta beamed. "He’s an attacking midfielder, helium plays arsenic a 9, you don’t cognize wherever helium is. That’s his shot brain. His absorption present is ‘I’m going to triumph the game, I’m going to bash it’ and that’s a antithetic thing.

“He is [brimming with confidence]. He’s practising and helium wants more. There is inactive different level from him. He’s surrounded by unthinkable players. Something has changed successful him – that confidence, you truly consciousness it and present he’s putting it into games and he’s winning shot matches.”

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