Mikel Arteta's Big Statement On Bukayo Saka After Hook Vs Leverkusen: 'We...'

Last Updated:March 13, 2026, 22:25 IST

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta praised Bukayo Saka despite a rare off-game against Leverkusen.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has showered love and trust on the club’s young talisman Bukayo Saka after a rare off-game against Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the UEFA Champions League in the mid-week.

The right-winger had just one shot all game, and struggled to get past the German side’s back-five defense, before getting hooked on the hour mark. His compatriot Noni Madueke replaced him and brought a fresh burst of energy to the Gunners’ right-handed side, which culminated in him winning a penalty that helped Kai Havertz score an 89th-minute equaliser to keep things level at 1-1 before the second leg in London.

While Saka’s goals and assists have been on the lower side this season, despite him leading most of the creative underlying numbers, this was a performance where he looked uncharacteristically jaded.

“We fully trust him and love him," Arteta said. “What he’s doing for us, for this club, is just incredible at his age and he’s continued to have that massive impact for us. He can have an individual performance that is not probably a reflection of his level, like every human, every player in the world. But overall, when you look at his strength and the impulse he has in the team, it’s just incredible," he added.

Arsenal need at least one of their attackers to find some form before the run-in as they continue to compete on all four fronts, mostly banking on their world-class defense. Ahead of hosting his former club, Everton, Arteta urged the team to keep pushing to convert the position they are in.

“Every game that you win now is a massive step towards the objective," he said. “And tomorrow we have a very difficult one. We value the position that we have right now and how much we want to, for sure be in the same position at the end of the season, and that depends on us. So our focus is on what we have to do, what we have to maintain and what we have to improve together."

Arsenal are six points clear at the top of the Premier League table, but second-placed Manchester City have a game in hand. The next three games, against the in-form Toffees at home in the league, the second leg of the round of 16 tie against Leverkusen, and the League Cup final against City, could be make or break.

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