Arsenal have been in touch with the PGMOL over some of the tackles that have been dished out to talisman Bukayo Saka this season, but the Gunners winger isn’t complaining
Arsenal have been in touch with the PGMOL over Bukayo Saka (Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC)
Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka has revealed that he was heavily influenced by former Gunners favourite Alexis Sanchez growing up – and the England star is channeling the Chilean forward’s fighting spirit after being roughed up on a regular basis this term.
The Hale End academy graduate, 21, has spearheaded the Gunners’ shock title charge after accumulating 10 goals and nine assists over the course of the campaign for Mikel Arteta’s side, who lead Manchester City at the summit of the Premier League by five points.
Saka’s influence on this Arsenal team goes far beyond goals and assists, though. Even before their remarkable run this year, the fleet-footed winger has been at the heart of the club’s revival under Arteta. But the popular youngster has paid a heavy price for his dynamic displays since muscling into the first-team fold at the Emirates.
Saka has been on the receiving end of plenty of rough challenges this term
Saka’s penchant for running at defenders means that he is often on the receiving end of plenty of rough challenges. In fact, the Arsenal talisman is joint-eighth in the list of the most targeted players in the Premier League after being fouled 45 times this term. However, somewhat remarkably, only four yellow cards have been issued for tackles against him – meaning opposition players average one yellow card for every 11.25 fouls made against him.
That total is far lower than the average amount of yellow cards issued per foul against Jack Grealish (the second most-fouled player in the league) which stands at 4.9.
Saka revealed in midweek that Arsenal have even got in touch with the PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Board) over the rough treatment he’s received – not that he’s overly concerned.
He told The Evening Standard : “I can’t come out here and start complaining that I’m getting fouled. It doesn’t make sense, I’m not going to get anywhere with it. Arsenal have had the meetings they need to have with the referees and stuff like that. I feel like we just need to take it from there and see where that gets us.
Saka: “I watched Alexis Sanchez a lot growing up”
“The way I play, I’m always going to attract contact. I watched Alexis Sanchez a lot growing up. He was a special player, I loved many things about him. That’s one of the qualities he had — he always got up, fought to the end. You could say I took that from him, but at the same time I have my own goals and ambitions. That’s also [part of] my drive.”
As well as making contact with the PGMOL, Saka has revealed that Arteta is keen for his teammates to stop giving the ball to him in congested areas as the Spaniard bids to protect his talisman ahead of the title run-in.
He added: “He’s talking about the type of balls I receive: as a winger, if you receive the ball on the touchline with your back to the defender, even if I’m the defender, I’d do the same: come in straight and fast, close you down. So, of course, there’s going to be a lot of pressure and a lot of contact.
“I think he’s talking about those type of balls, the type of balls where I don’t have much space to manoeuvre and the defender can close me down quickly and be really aggressive.”
