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Arsenal icon Martin Keown expressed his thoughts on Bukayo Saka's performance as No. 10 against Wigan Athletic on Sunday, February 15. He appreciated the winger, saying that he and Noni Madueke partnered up well against the League One side.
Different position for Bukayo Saka
The Gunners hosted Wigan at the Emirates in the FA Cup Fourth Round on Sunday. Saka was set to sit on the bench, but after an injury to Riccardo Calafiori during the warm-up, Mikel Arteta put him in the starting XI. The English winger played as a No. 10, with Madueke on the right wing.
Great outing for Bukayo Saka against Wigan
Saka played for just one half against Wigan. He successfully completed 25/26 passes, making one key pass, attempted two shots, completed 2/3 dribble attempts, and won 6/7 duels (via SofaScore). Following the game, Martin Keown said on TNT Sports (h/t Arsenal Insider):
“It’s interesting because Saka has played in the Odegaard role, obviously a last-minute change, and it’s really opened him up. It’s been good for his confidence. He’s playing with freedom, and it was a really good ball. Both of them (Saka and Madueke), that’s England’s right-hand side, both playing there together at the same time. Too much for Wigan.”
Arsenal, meanwhile, won 4-0, courtesy of goals from Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli, Jack Hunt og, and Gabriel Jesus.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta reflects on Bukayo Saka's performance as No. 10
After securing a comfortable win against Wigan, Mikel Arteta played Bukayo Saka in a central position. He said that it lets them play differently in multiple competitions, saying that the Englishman give a great threat to the rival team.
Arteta said in his post-match press conference:
"That’s something that’s a possibility and I wanted to try it, and we might use it in the future. There are still so many games, competitions and different scenarios to play in this season, and that’s a possibility that we have."
"Well, he's more central, he's closer to the goal. It's a bit more difficult for the opponent to get his reference constantly. He can interchange positions with a wide player as well, and he’s so good at picking those spaces. When he’s there, he can really hurt you with the ball," he added.
Bukayo Saka's stats this season for Arsenal
The 24-year-old winger has scored seven goals and gave seven assists in 33 games across all competitions for Arsenal this season.
Arsenal will next face Wolves in an away fixture in the Premier League on Wednesday. They will then face arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur away on Sunday, February 22.
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