Bukayo Saka celebration
Image credit: Getty Images
Mikel Arteta praised the emotional reception Bukayo Saka received from the Emirates Stadium crowd as the winger marked his long-awaited return with a goal in Arsenal’s 2-0 victory over Fulham on Tuesday night.
Saka, making his first appearance in 101 days after recovering from a hamstring injury that required surgery, found the net just seven minutes after coming off the bench in the second half. The England international had missed 20 matches since sustaining the injury in December.
Introduced in the 66th minute for Ethan Nwaneri, Saka was greeted with loud cheers from the home fans—who had already shown their appreciation during the pre-match announcements and warm-ups. He capped off his comeback by heading in a flick from Gabriel Martinelli to seal the win for the Gunners.
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Speaking after the game, Arteta lauded the reception for Saka and highlighted the winger’s gratitude toward the club’s medical staff.
Bukayo Saka ran straight to Sam Wilson, the lead physical performance coach at Arsenal, after he scored on his return from injury against Fulham tonight.
Mikel Arteta on Bukayo Saka: “The best example is his reaction. After he scored a goal what does he do? He goes and says… pic.twitter.com/rpokJdoVZO
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“A beautiful moment to see how much our people love, respect, and admire Bukayo,” Arteta said. “It’s not a surprise to any of us. The best example is his reaction—immediately after scoring, what does he do? He goes and says ‘thank you’ to all the sports science guys, physios, and everyone involved in his recovery for helping him get back to this level.”
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Arteta also expressed his delight at having Saka back in the squad.
“I think he lifted the stadium. It’s great to have him back,” he added. “He was really positive after the match. The first game back is always about wondering, ‘How am I going to feel?’ But he dealt with it really well.”
Saka’s return is a major boost for Arsenal, who are dealing with several injury concerns in defense ahead of their Champions League quarter-final first leg against Real Madrid next week.
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