AND NOW YOU’RE GUNNER BELIEVE US
Saka insists Arteta’s six machines have sent strong message to Prem title rivals
BUKAYO SAKA believes Arsenal have made a “statement” in the title race.
The six-goal demolition of West Ham shows the Gunners are determined to go toe-to-toe with Manchester City and Liverpool.
It was vital they backed up their morale-boosting win over the Reds with a victory at London Stadium.
And it was not just the three points – but the style in which they won.
Arsenal have not been playing with the same flair as last season but blitzed the Hammers with a sensational display. “We knew it was really important for us to win and make a statement,” said Saka. “We did really well, scoring six and keeping a clean sheet.”
Mikel Arteta’s (below) men are level on points with City and just two behind leaders Liverpool.
But back-to-back defeats against
West Ham at home and at Fulham, between Christmas and New Year, saw the Gunners written off in some quarters.
However, since then, they have smashed five past Crystal Palace, won at Nottingham Forest, and beaten Liverpool and the Hammers.
They had tripped up in their last three games with
West Ham – blowing a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 at London Stadium last season, losing at home in December before being knocked out of the Carabao Cup this term. But as Arsenal learned last season, it is more about how you finish the campaign than how you start it. They fell away in the title race when William Saliba picked up an injury and Arteta’s men lost their defensive foundations.
This time around, they have the meanest defence in the Premier League, conceding just 22 goals.
Saliba and Gabriel have been outstanding. All the talk about keeper David
Raya has quietened down, while Ben White has been incredibly consistent.
Left-back has been an issue ever since Jurrien Timber was injured in the first game of the season. And Gabriel Jesus has missed too many games, meaning it has been hard for Arsenal to field a settled first-choice XI.
The Gunners have scored 16 set-piece goals, the highest in the Premier League. But that also exposes a lack of chances from open play.
The six goals they put past West Ham shows they are hitting form at the right time though.
City have a reputation for winning game after game in the run-in to blow the opposition away. That is what Arsenal must do now.
Last season, Saka missed from the spot against the Hammers when, if he had scored, it would have made it 3-1. Instead, Arsenal were pegged back to 2-2 as their title challenge unravelled.
But Saka insists this time he was not worried about taking spot-kick responsibility.
“I don’t know any penalty taker that scores every single penalty,” said Saka, after his man-of-the-match display took him to 10 goals and seven assists this term.
“So when I won the penalty, I was ready to take it again and score. I’ve had many lessons in my career and it’s a learning process which makes you stronger.”