Arsenal’s 3-0 victory over Bournemouth was a welcome one, as it meant that the Gunners kept their Premier League title hopes alive.
Although there were controversial refereeing incidents, with Ryan Christie escaping punishment for a brutal challenge on Bukayo Saka, and Bournemouth having a goal ruled out for what appeared to be a soft foul on David Raya, Arsenal strolled to a comfortable victory in the end.
Saka opened the scoring from the spot after a dominant first half, with a penalty awarded after Kai Havertz was fouled by Mark Travers.
Leandro Trossard added a second after a ‘Messi-like’ assist from Declan Rice, and the midfielder then added a third late on to seal all three points.
Saka performed superbly despite receiving a heavy challenge early on, and Mikel Arteta has now praised the Arsenal talisman.
Mikel Arteta claims Bukayo Saka is now better than ever for Arsenal
Speaking after the game, Arteta claimed that Saka now has more hunger than before, and has also improved from what was a fantastic campaign last season.
“The level of consistency compared to last year is very similar. There areas he’s better in. I see a different edge to him in the way he competes. He loves winning more than three months ago,” he stated.
Saka has now scored 20 goals and provided 14 assists across all competitions, and has been one of the Premier League’s top performers this season.
Bukayo Saka is enjoying his best-ever campaign
Saka was outstanding in the 2022-23 campaign, with 15 goals and 11 assists in 48 appearances all competitions, but he has outdone himself by some distance this season.
With 34 goals and assists in 46 games, he has already vastly bettered his previous best season total, with two games to spare, and this year, his European record is for the Champions League rather than the Europa League.
READ MORE: Arsenal’s XI from Bukayo Saka’s first-team debut
Saka’s output is the best out of any Arsenal player since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and the 22-year-old is now going toe to toe with established top-class players in terms of his goal and assist records for the club.
If the winger continues to perform at the level he is right now, with Arsenal also challenging for major trophies, then he will eventually become a club legend.