Arteta Gives Reasons For Saka’s Dip In Form

Mikel Arteta pointed to two key factors behind Bukayo Saka’s dip in form for Arsenal.

He was replaced after an hour against Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday night after a poor performance.

He regularly gave the ball away and had little impact in possession, in contrast to his replacement Noni Madueke, who won the penalty for Arsenal’s late equaliser.

Arsenal’s title bids in recent seasons have often been built on the relationships down the right between Martin Odegaard, Ben White and Saka, while the winger has also shone alongside Kai Havertz.

Injuries have limited those combinations this season and Arteta believes that has had a significant impact, along with the relentless schedule.

“We have changed that [attacking] unit a lot, much more than in recent years,” Arteta was quoted on The Standard.

“The amount of games and minutes he’s played now, it’s a bit more already than the whole of last season. We also just have to understand the demands we’re putting on players.

“That’s another thing that obviously when we talk about the beauty of the game, all these things affect certain things for sure.”

Saka’s goal against Wolves last month, when he played as a No10, ended a long run of 15 games without scoring.

Even with the return to the scoresheet, Saka has still scored only goals and assisted three in his last 21 appearances in all competitions.

“We fully trust him and love him,” Arteta insisted.

“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.”