Saka's Sticky Patch: Tuchel Demands More, But Is the Lad Carrying Arsenal on His Back?
Bukayo Saka is enduring a rare dip in form at Arsenal despite their Premier League dominance, drawing criticism from Thomas Tuchel who deemed his 13 England goals insufficient. Pundits like Ray Parlour and Ally McCoist highlight his big-game struggles and suggest Noni Madueke as a rival, while Mikel Arteta defends him citing heavy workload. With the World Cup nearing, can Saka bounce back?
Saka's Sticky Patch: Tuchel Demands More, But Is the Lad Carrying Arsenal on His Back?
Picture this: Bukayo Saka bags his 13th goal for England against Wales back in October, eclipsing Arsenal legends as the Gunners' top Three Lions scorer. A journo lobs the question to Thomas Tuchel, expecting gushing praise. Instead, the German coach drops a bombshell: "13? It has to be more, it's not enough."
Tuchel wasn't messing about. He figured Saka should've hit 30 by now, given the winger's terrorising form in the Premier League – the world's toughest league. "He's got the lot: attitude, stamina, talent," Tuchel barked. "Time to boss it internationally too." Fair play, it's classic Tuchel – never satisfied, always pushing.
But here's the rub: since those words, Saka's gone off the boil at Arsenal. And with the Gunners chasing a treble and the World Cup looming, the timing couldn't be worse.
A Season of Stats That Sting
Arsenal sit top of the Premier League by nine points, banging in more goals than anyone. Yet Saka's having his quietest campaign in half a decade. Just six goals from 22 league games – same as last term when a hamstring op sidelined him for months.
Assists? A measly three, down from 10. Total contributions: nine, versus 16 last year. Rewind further: 25 in 2022-23 and 2023-24, 18 in 2021-22. Ouch.
Big-game Bukayo? He's faded. From 2021-22 to 2023-24, he notched 22 goals and assists against the 'Big Six'. Last season: just two (despite missing chunks). This term? One assist vs Chelsea across eight top-six clashes. Zilch in the Carabao Cup final vs City, semi vs Chelsea, or Champions League knockouts vs Bayer Leverkusen.
A 15-game goal drought lasted 11 weeks. Since December, two league strikes in games he mostly played. Speaking pre-Carabao final, Saka admitted to ex-Gunner Paul Merson: "I'd love more consistency, but the team's smashing it on all fronts."
Wembley Woes and Madueke Lurking
That Carabao final loss to City at Wembley? Saka's stinker summed up his slump. Two early shots at James Trafford, one failed dribble, dribbled past five times. Defensive shift, zero reward. Fans fumed.
Ray Parlour on Talksport nailed it: "Saka didn't have a good game. Out of form, low on belief? Not ideal pre-World Cup, England fans."
Cohost Ally McCoist went further: "Noni Madueke's outshining him. Give Saka a breather, Mikel Arteta." Madueke subbed on at Wembley (last 24 mins) and looked sharper. He won a pen vs Leverkusen too, salvaging a 1-1. And with both in England's squad for Uruguay/Japan friendlies, competition's heating up.
Arteta's Shield and the Fatigue Factor
Arteta backed his boy post-Leverkusen: "Full trust in B. One off-day doesn't define him. His impact's incredible."
He pointed to injuries hitting Kai Havertz and Martin Ødegaard, plus Saka's insane workload. Debut 2018, 305 Arsenal apps already – 41st all-time. Record 83 straight PL games 2021-23. 48 England caps at 24 – 73rd on caps list. Wayne Rooney hit 120 aged 33.
As reported by Planet Football and Evening Standard via OneFootball, some whisper Arteta's tactics are cramping Saka's style. More defensive duties? Eight years, 353 games total. No wonder he's creaking.
So, is Tuchel right to demand more, or is Saka the victim of his own brilliance? Arsenal march on, but World Cup dreams hinge on the lad rediscovering his spark. Fingers crossed, eh? Over to you, B – show 'em what you're made of.