SAKA IS A England dynamo Bukayo fires CRACKER
BUKAYO SAKA turned up the heat at the top to ensure there was no big freeze to Arsenal’s title charge.
On his 199th appearance for his beloved club, the England sensation produced yet another dynamic display for the league leaders.
His early strike, which wounded Wolves badly, was his eighth of the campaign – and means he has now been involved in 18 goals this season.
And that, despite a late flurry from the visitors, allied to Martin Odegaard’s seventh this term was sufficient to send the hosts four points clear at the summit – for 24 hours at least. Mikel Arteta’s high-fliers are certainly setting the pace – even if many feel last year’s runners-up have yet to click.
Or, rather, had failed to click. For after smashing six past Lens in midweek, the Gunners were close to their vintage best yesterday, particularly in a onesided opening half hour.
Gary O’neil reckons his side has been denied seven points by VAR shockers since August. If correct, that would have had them in the top eight at kick-off rather than 13th. Yet after a 12-minute blitz by the humming Gunners, they looked decidedly bottom-half fodder.
Saka lit the fuse with his opener on six minutes.
He initiated the move for Arsenal’s 100th goal in 2023 before – courtesy of one tiny bobble en route – he snuck through a crowded area to rifle in from close range.
When in this mood, the deadly winger tends to inspire those around him. So it proved here.
His cross in the 12th minute, which eventually nestled at Oleksandr Zinchenko’s feet via
Gabriel Martinelli, was the prelude to a truly magnificent second goal.
The rampaging Ukrainian’s one-two with Gabriel Jesus was followed by his perfect first-time cut-back for skipper Odegaard to smash in without breaking stride.
An already bad afternoon potentially deepened for Wolves on 23 minutes when their keeper Jose Sa (right) was injured and replaced by Dan Bentley.
Somehow, the substitute stopper survived conceding again before the break as Martinelli, Leandro Trossard – recalled for last week’s match-winner Kai Havertz – and Saka were all
inches wide. Yet the two-goal advantage still pretty much meant it was game over given the Gunners boasted the topflight’s best rearguard at the start of the game.
At least the interval gave Arteta the chance to remind his players not to ease off.
Yet the first decent chance after the break fell to Wolves, with Matheus Cunha forcing Raya into his first save of the day.
And when the same Brazilian did find the net with seven minutes left, it led to an unlikely, nervy finale for the home faithful.