Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has a plan to stop Arsenal star Bukayo Saka at Selhurst Park.
The Eagles suffered a 3-2 defeat against Mikel Arteta’s side in the EFL Cup on Wednesday. A Gabriel Jesus hat-trick won Arsenal the game.
The two sides meet each other again, this time in the Premier League at Selhurst Park. Glasner would love nothing more than to get some revenge on Saturday.
Saka will be Arsenal’s main man, and Glasner thinks he knows how to contain the Arsenal number seven.
Oliver Glasner names one thing Arsenal star Bukayo Saka ‘doesn’t like’ doing
Saka has been Arsenal’s best player since the start of the season.
The England international has directly contributed to 22 goals in 23 appearances this term. He averages a goal or an assist every 82 minutes, which is a stunning return for a wide player.
Saka, hailed as ‘starboy’ by Emile Smith Rowe, came on as a substitute when Crystal Palace faced Arsenal in the EFL Cup midweek. The 23-year-old picked up an assist then, but he would surely love to do more at Selhurst Park.
Glasner knows that Saka will start on Saturday, and the Crystal Palace boss already has a plan to stop the Arsenal number seven from having any joy in attack.
The Austrian has claimed that Saka ‘doesn’t like’ to defend. So, he wants Tyrick Mitchell to push forward, which would then force the Arsenal star to track him back.
Glasner said, as per London News Online: “For me, he (Mitchell) played with too much respect. You can wait and control your winger, but I want them to attack in this situation. In the way we play, we need both wing-backs to attack. He could have done better with that.”
Speaking about Saka, he said: “Of course, he is defending Saka, but with the way Arsenal defend, their wingers have to follow the wing-backs often.
“One thing Saka doesn’t like is to defend. So we want them to do things on the pitch that Arsenal don’t like. If we let them do what they want, they will win.”
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Bukayo Saka of Arsenal in action during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Southampton FC at Emirates Stadium on October 05, 2024 in L...
Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images
Saka constantly gets compared to players like Phil Foden and Cole Palmer.
The Manchester City and Chelsea stars are both phenomenal. They have been fantastic for their respective clubs and deserve all the praise they get.
However, neither Foden nor Palmer are tasked with the responsibility of running back and helping out the defence. Saka has to do that every game – Glasner’s comments prove that.
Despite that, the Arsenal star keeps producing sensational numbers in attack. That puts him in a league above the likes of Palmer and Foden.
Saka may not like defending, but the England winger does it really well. It will be interesting to see if Glasner’s plan will help him stop the Arsenal superstar.
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