Bukayo Saka achieved one feat for the first time in his career as Arsenal beat Brighton and Hove Albion 3-0 on Saturday afternoon.
Bukayo Saka set Arsenal on their way to victory against Brighton and Hove Albion with a well-taken first half penalty.
The 22-year-old winger might have found the back of the net before then, as earlier on in the match he collected a clever Ben White pass, cut inside onto his favoured left foot in the penalty area, but could only steer his effort just beyond the far post.
However, the Hale End academy graduate made amends for this miss with a goal from the penalty spot in the 33rd minute after Gabriel Jesus was brought down in the box. Saka made no mistake as he buried the ball confidently into the bottom corner.
Bukayo Saka reaches personal milestone as Arsenal beat Brighton
Mikel Arteta will have been delighted to see the England man back on the pitch and back on the scoresheet, as Saka has recently struggled to maintain his fitness. The Gunners need him fit and firing on all cylinders for the run-in as he is the North London club’s most potent attacker.
With this strike against the Seagulls, Saka took his goal tally for the season so far to 17, across all competitions. He has also chipped in with 13 assists. As reported by afcstuff on X, this means that the attacker has now racked up a total of 30 goal contributions in a single campaign for the first time ever in his career.
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Bukayo Saka key to Arsenal success
This is an extraordinary return from a player who is still so young. Saka is already considered a “world-class” player by many, and for good reason. He is a talismanic figure at the Emirates Stadium and has been central to the success that the Gunners have already enjoyed this season. If Arsenal do now go on to be crowned champions then he will have been vital to that triumph.
When Arsenal took a 2-0 lead after the break against Brighton, Arteta was able to take Saka off. The Spanish coach will be grateful for this opportunity to rest the winger’s legs as Saka will surely start for the Gunners in their Champions League first-leg clash against Bayern Munich on Tuesday night. He will certainly need to be fresh and at his best against the German giants.
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