Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka delivered a fantastic performance for England during their 7-0 Nations League rout of Croatia on the road yesterday.
The Three Lions had won their previous three meetings against Croatia, and they continued the streak with a phenomenal victory away from home.
Saka struggled to make his mark against Spain or Czechia for the Three Lions, but he got onto the scoresheet twice at the Stadion HNK Rijeka yesterday.
The Arsenal graduate scored his first goal right before the interval with an easy tap-in (4-0).
Saka went on to register England’s sixth goal in the 68th minute. He was gifted possession by Croatia in the penalty area before he found the back of the net.
Aside from his brace, the 25-year-old completed 69 touches with 37 successful passes. He delivered two crosses into the box and created a couple of chances.
Saka also won three duels and made three ball recoveries. He looked back to his best after a lean phase without scoring from open play.
The Gunners star started the season brightly, scoring against Coventry City and Aston Villa before converting a late penalty at Sunderland.
He had not scored from open play for club or country since August 31, and yesterday’s brace should boost Saka’s confidence going forward.
Saka received a 9/10 rating from The Telegraph for his goalscoring display.
England have one more Nations League match against Czechia at home before the extended international break eventually concludes.
Saka has started every game for the Three Lions during the ongoing Nations League campaign and could play for at least an hour on Tuesday night.
Arsenal would no doubt prefer Saka to be given a breather before the Premier League clash against Leeds United at the Emirates Stadium on October 10.
Stats from Sofascore.com