Arsenal fans slam Bukayo Saka
Arsenal fans slam Bukayo Saka (Image via Getty, and X/@SirLeoBDasilva)
Some Arsenal fans have slammed Bukayo Saka for his performance in their 1-1 draw against Bayer Leverkusen. The two sides faced off at the BayArena in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first leg on Wednesday.
In the game, Gabriel Martinelli hit the post in the first half, but the hosts dominated proceedings. Just a minute into the second half, Robert Andrich scored for Leverkusen via a corner. The German side had multiple opportunities to extend its lead, but couldn't.
In the 88th minute, Arsenal received a penalty after Noni Madueke was deemed to have been fouled in the box. Former Bayer Leverkusen star Kai Havertz converted the penalty to restore parity.
Meanwhile, Bukayo Saka had a poor game and was replaced in the 60th minute by Madueke. He attempted one shot, completed 16/19 passes, completed 1/3 dribble attempts, and won 2/8 duels (via SofaScore). The Gunners fans online have slammed the English winger, as one wrote on X (formerly Twitter):
"Saka killed this game He lilled the flow and rhythm of the game Couldn't dribble past a single player tonight Absolutely disgraceful"
Another wrote:
"Saka is so washed"
Here are some more reactions:
Saka has scored nine goals and provided seven assists in 38 games across competitions this season.
Bukayo Saka dismissed criticism against Arsenal's playing style
The Gunners are competing for an unprecedented quadruple this season. However, their dependence on set pieces and playing style has garnered plenty of criticism from fans and pundits. Arsenal star Bukayo Saka claimed that they don't pay attention to this criticism, saying (h/t The Guardian):
"We don’t listen to that stuff. I don’t see it, I don’t read it. It is not beneficial in any way. We just want to continue going our way, winning. People will say whatever they want to see, whether we play the most beautiful football or if we score from a set-piece, they will still talk. For us, we just want to win games and we are now getting closer to the end of the season."
The second leg of the Champions League clash at the Emirates will take place on March 17. Meanwhile, Arsenal will face Manchester City in the EFL Cup final and Southampton away in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
They also sit atop the Premier League standings, seven points above Manchester City, who have a game in hand. The Gunners will next face Everton at home in the Premier League on Saturday.