Bukayo Saka’s performance in Arsenal’s impressive opening-day win has already convinced some fans the Gunners are going to defend their Premier League crown.
The 24-year-old’s game-time for the north London outfit was managed at the end of last season, as well as with England at the World Cup, because of an Achilles injury he picked up in March.
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Saka missed the March international break and seven games for the Gunners, but returned to help them lift the Premier League title for the first time in 22 years.
The winger was then taken off during the Champions League final as Arsenal lost to Paris-St Germain in Budapest and his performance was criticised.
England boss Thomas Tuchel also limited his minutes during the World Cup, but asked if he found it frustrating being judged while not 100% fit, Saka said it was a “gamble” he was willing to take.
A rest after the tournament seems to have allowed Saka to start this campaign at his best. He looked sharp against newly promoted Coventry on Friday, giving full-back Jay Dasilva a torrid time while scoring the second goal in the 3-0 win.
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The sight of Saka flying down the right wing and involved in a lot of Arsenal’s attacks will be welcomed by supporters.
Because, despite a stop-start season last year, Saka still clocked up 49 appearances for the Gunners and their win percentage was notably more impressive with him in the team.
Did Saka’s World Cup play a part in this season’s sharpness?
Saka only started three of England’s eight games at the World Cup, including scoring a hat-trick in the 6-4 third-place final win over France.
That result secured England’s best finish in a World Cup on foreign soil.
Saka, though, had been left out of the semi-final defeat by Argentina, despite starting the last-16 win over Mexico and the quarter-final win over Norway.
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The winger said after the victory against Mexico he wished he had been at 100% fitness going into the tournament but accepted “that hasn’t been the case”.
Saka played just 357 minutes at the World Cup, just 48% of England’s total minutes across eight matches at the tournament.
He showed flashes of his quality, providing three assists, which alongside Anthony Gordon was the most of any England player, as well as three goals.
In fact, he registered a goal involvement on average every 60 minutes for the Three Lions during the tournament.
Saka’s pre-season and signs of top form
Saka returned from the World Cup and after a break rejoined the Arsenal squad, playing his first minutes of this season in the Community Shield, coming on when the Gunners were already leading Manchester City 3-0.
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His acceleration and sharpness during that cameo was something that was lacking towards the end of last season as the winger looked to help his team get over the line.
And after his starring performance against Coventry in the first Premier League game of the season, he hinted that after low minutes at the World Cup and a summer break he felt back to his best.
“I was training a lot so I could be ready for the start of the season and ready to help the team in the way I know I can,” Saka said in the mixed zone after the win.
“It was more about balancing my time off and not having too much of a break. I took seven days off and then started to train again.
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“I’ve put in a lot of work since then and I’m feeling good. I just tried to come back in good shape, so I’m on top of my body.”
That motivation seems to have come from the frustration of not achieving England’s goal at the World Cup, with the winger returning to training a few days early.
“The World Cup didn’t necessarily go how I wanted it to, for myself and for the team as well,” he said.
“I felt really hungry after the World Cup, after the season ended. I was looking forward to this new season.”
Havertz, Saka, Odegaard and White partnership
Another part of why Saka looks like he is in a flow state so early in the season is the return of Kai Havertz, Martin Odegaard and Ben White to full fitness.
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There is no debate that White and Saka’s partnership down the right-hand side, with the defender’s overlapping runs, unlock the best in Saka.
The partnership he has with Odegaard and Havertz is also crucial to a fluid Arsenal attack and the win over Coventry was just the second time since December 2024 that the trio started a Premier League game together, such have been their injury problems.
There have been questions about whether Arteta is too reliant on Saka, and before the start of this season the winger had played 153 matches, with 61 of them being the full 90 minutes, across the past three seasons.
But with an enforced break through injury and then lower minutes at the World Cup, he could be about to produce the regular scintillating performances we have become used to.
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