Some lament over-reliance on a player.
Some say that other players should step up and lighten the load.
But when a player is as bona-fide brilliant as Bukayo Saka – any team in the world would lean on them to produce world-class, game-changing moments.
Our Starboy isn’t new to the elite. Arsenal’s number 7 has been leaving defenders and markers perplexed for a good few seasons now.
But it’s only this season that Saka has underlined his class with genuine, consistent and season-defining numbers.
24 games played – 22 goals and assists.
To reach the highest levels of the game, it’s accepted that players will have to produce over 50-60 games in a campaign. No going missing, playing nearly every minute. It is demanding. It is grueling, it flies in the face of player welfare.
But the best players in the world repeatedly do it.
Benzema (before his move to Saudi).
Lewandowski.
Salah.
Just a few that, for the most part, have produced consistently over a whole season. And then done it again and again.
And their team have completely relied on them to make the difference.
Any team in the world would do the same.
No blame can be laid at Mikel Arteta’s feet.
Some will bemoan Saka’s lack of rest in Carabao Cup matches.
But trophies are what a player – and us fans – want. And the Carabao Cup isn’t to be sniffed at anymore. We need our best team playing in 95% of our games.
We could rotate of course. Martinelli can play on the right. Sterling, when he’s fit, could cover.
But neither are Saka.
Martinelli can be lethal on the flank at times. At other times he can be woefully wasteful.
Sterling, when on form, is a goalscoring threat. But getting him – and his confidence back to where it was will take time.
And he still isn’t capable of doing what Saka can do.
Let’s not forget, that Bukayo has dealt with being double-marked for around three seasons now.
And his output is getting better despite this.
Saka’s hamstring injury is now in post-surgery stage. The boy is ridiculously fit and his recuperation will be handled with kid gloves – but he will be back ahead of schedule given his peak conditioning.
And we will of course miss his presence on the pitch. The majority of our threat has been down our right, via the deadly triumvirate of White, Odegaard and Saka.
And now all of these players have missed large chunks of this current campaign.
A season when the title has been very much up for grabs.
But look at Man City without Rodri.
Rudderless.
We’ll continue to steer toward the top of the table without our Starboy, but any team would miss his meteoric talents. And we will.
Given Liverpool’s healthy advantage and now Saka’s absence, the title might be out of our reach this season.
But for those of you saying we need to dip into the market to fill his position while he’s gone…
…How do you replace the irreplaceable?
Up The Arsenal 