Arsenal
Graeme Souness has called Bukayo Saka a cheat, and the comment has drawn a strong response. Arsenal fan Harry Symeou and manager Mikel Arteta have both reacted to the row, as per the latest news. The Premier League foul data also backs the winger.
Symeou hits back at Souness over Saka cheat claim
As reported by GOAL, Souness made the claim on Piers Morgan’s Football Uncensored. The 73-year-old Liverpool great spoke after Arsenal’s 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest. He said Saka is a cheat who dives far too often. Saka won three fouls at the City Ground, and Neco Williams was booked after very little contact. Arsenal fan and broadcaster Harry Symeou did not agree with Souness.
Symeou defended the England winger on talkSPORT’s Rushden and Baker. He accepted that diving is a real problem, and that fans often see players chase free kicks and penalties. However, he felt Saka was the wrong player to single out. He praised Souness’s playing career, but said he should know better. He suggested Souness may feel pressure to be controversial since joining certain shows.
Symeou said he is always wary of clipped quotes, but felt Souness had many chances to soften his words. He also thought the comment had damaged the respect many people hold for Souness as a pundit. In his view, few rival fans would back it.
Symeou also spoke about Gabriel, whose physical style can frustrate opposition supporters in big games. He said he rarely rushes to defend the centre-back on this subject, because Gabriel plays on the edge. Saka is different, he argued, as the winger has one of the best conduct records in English football.
Saka’s 2026/27 stats for Arsenal so far, as per FOTMOB:
Competition Matches Goals Assists Fouls won Duels won(%)
Premier League 7 3 0 21 54.4%
Champions League 2 1 1 – 57.1%
Bukayo Saka foul numbers show how defenders stop him
Saka, 25, has been fouled 21 times in the Premier League this season, as things stand. Only Manchester City midfielder Elliot Anderson has suffered more, with 23.
His role on the right wing also explains the count. He receives the ball wide and runs straight at full backs, who often have little time to react. They then face two options, either let him pass or stop him with a foul. Some choose the foul, and the referee must then decide whether the contact was strong enough to matter.
Liverpool winger Rio Ngumoha, an England teammate of Bukayo Saka, did so while beating Sergi Cardona. He then set up a goal for Alexis Mac Allister in Liverpool’s 4-3 Champions League win over Villarreal. Symeou was asked if a foul would have been given had the move not ended in a goal. He said referees must still award fouls in such moments, so players feel safe to stay upright.
Arsenal
Arteta stays calm over Souness row ahead of Bayern game
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta did not add fuel to the row when he spoke before the Bayern Munich game. He said he had not heard the comments, so he would not respond to them. Arteta added that the club accepts outside opinions as part of the job. He said Arsenal want to keep improving and prove they belong at this level.
Arsenal entered the Bayern fixture with a perfect Champions League record, having beaten Napoli and Lille. Bayern had four points from two games, after a win over Bodo/Glimt and a draw with Viking. Midfielder Martin Zubimendi also returned from injury, and Arteta said he would be involved in the game.
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