RCD Espanyol v FC Barcelona - LaLiga Santander
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Mikel Arteta has given Bukayo Saka a clear instruction this season: get closer to goal and score more.
It鈥檚 been working, too. He鈥檚 Arsenal鈥檚 top scorer in the Premier League with three goals from six games, his best start to a league season, including the winner at Villa Park, and all five of his open-play goals this season for club and country have been close-range finishes.
He鈥檚 not been at his best in other areas, though. His creative numbers are down, he鈥檚 arguably lost some of his burst of pace, and his decision-making in the final third has frustrated fans at times. But that comes with the new role. He鈥檚 averaging nearly three shots per Premier League game, and Arteta has made it clear that he wants even more.
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He started on the bench against Lille, but within six minutes of coming on, he鈥檇 set up Arsenal鈥檚 second goal and scored the third himself.
Gary Lineker thinks Bukayo Saka could kick on now
Reviewing the game on The Rest Is Football, Gary Lineker suggested that cameo could prove to be a big moment for Bukayo Saka.
鈥淗e came on and instantly had a goal and assist, and I think that won鈥檛 do him any harm,鈥� Lineker said. 鈥淚 mean, I know he鈥檚 a really good footballer anyway, but all players, we have a dip at some point in our careers. You have a little difficult spell and you鈥檝e got to come through it.
鈥淢ight be a little bit of a turning point. I don鈥檛 know, because confidence is everything, isn鈥檛 it? And you just do something like that, and it鈥檚 a really cool finish, and you think to yourself, 鈥楢h, that鈥檚 the Saka we know.鈥欌��/p>
Alan Shearer agreed, and thinks not starting might have done Saka some good. 鈥淚t might do him the world of good as not starting, then coming on and scoring and getting the assist,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t wouldn鈥檛 surprise me at all if he were to get another one at the weekend.鈥�/p>
The Lille goal was his fourth of the season and his 14th in the Champions League, and in that competition he鈥檚 now scoring at 0.45 goals per game, the same rate as Thierry Henry managed for Arsenal. Hopefully he can keep the goals coming, starting against Nottingham Forest on Sunday.