Bukayo Saka (7)

[Goonerfromafrica]

Not tracking back, would not be surprised if he has lost motivation though.

Can't imagine how much his psychology has changed after the events of the summer. He might be wanting something bigger for himself.

[Nuggets]

Not tracking back, would not be surprised if he has lost motivation though.

Can't imagine how much his psychology has changed after the events of the summer. He might be wanting something bigger for himself.

....and nobody could blame him.

[swipe right]

Can’t really blame him. He’s clearly not ready physically to start the season. He’s also suffering from Arteta’s tactics. Our entire strategy is to move the ball wide and try to get in behind defenses that way. Tierney is being used as a winger. You can’t expect Saka who is clearly not conditioned for the new season to cover him for 90 mins.

[Power n Glory]

He wasn't even attempting to cover Tierney. That didn't look like a fitness issue. Either his head was in the clouds or we got it tactically wrong. He kept drifting in field to try and press ignoring James. But Tierney was doing the same and leaving the flanks exposed.

[swipe right]

He wasn't even attempting to cover Tierney. That didn't look like a fitness issue. Either his head was in the clouds or we got it tactically wrong. He kept drifting in field to try and press ignoring James. But Tierney was doing the same and leaving the flanks exposed.

Spot on but when does a full back drift inside and press? I felt for both Saka and Tierney because they got exposed by bad tactics. We can’t penetrate using our central midfielders and so have to play this nonsense. My hope is that a midfield of Ode, Sambi and Partey does better. I also think we should play ESR in a wide midfield role like Nasri used to in order to drop into central midfield when needed to add a man there. Our tactics yesterday were a shambles.

[Power n Glory]

I don't know what we were trying to do tactically. I recall we had a game last season vs Liverpool where we sat deep and allowed them to sling hopeless crosses and it's as if we were trying to do that or we were trying to press high up the pitch. It was a disaster either way.

Agree on ESR moving to the left. We need some sort of control and structure in central midfield. But Xhaka really needs to piss off as well. He seemed to be trying to press as well so it must have been a tactical decision.

[EliteKiller]

Odd game - not helped by Tierney constantly being out of position against the best attacking right side in the EPL - Saka went missing over and over having to carry the team is taking its toll.

[Salibatelli]

Chelsea won the champions league attacking from the right hand side with their full back.

You'd think the most obvious thing to do would be to prepare for that and negate that.

You’re spot on of course.

Trouble is Arteta doesn’t deal in the obvious, more often than not he misses it and does something odd.

[Salibatelli]

Odd game - not helped by Tierney constantly being out of position against the best attacking right side in the EPL - Saka went missing over and over having to carry the team is taking its toll.

Arteta could have just told to Tierney to sit back more, that would have been the logical thing.

[22-0]

and yet arteta the mastermind kept him on the field for so long.

[Nuggets]

and yet arteta the mastermind kept him on the field for so long.

That's because he is a fecking footballing genius

[Zenith]

My blood was boiling when Arteta decided to leave Auba and Saka on the field beyond the 60/65th minute mark.

Yes, they need match rhythm, but when the game is done and dusted, and the opponent's team is filled with passionate young debutants who will fight for every loose ball, an impact injury becomes increasingly more likely.

Hope Saka is ok. We'll need him against City on Saturday.

[Zenith]

Saka → Ødegaard → Saka

[Power n Glory]

Heck of a goal and finished in his weaker foot. Better from Saka. Should give him a confidence boost.

[thebigbangtheo]

For me, the best thing about saka's goal was not the guile on display from Odegaard with his perfectly measured back heeled one-two or indeed saka's composure in finishing the move, but instead the instinct and reading of play around him by Aubameyang in that half a second so as not to interfere with the move by greedily looking to get the strike for himself. Fluent, off the cuff team play involving 3 forward players... please sir, may we have some more?