Bukayo Saka (7)

The uncompetitiveness is because Bayern are a class above the opposition, including Dortmund.

I don’t wish to judge Saka harshly, nor do I wish to come across like I don’t rate him highly. He’s been our best player this season, but as you say, he’s doing this in a low-quality Arsenal side. In the last 8 Premier League games, Saka’s not scored nor has he assisted. I don’t think a player supposedly better than Sancho plays those games and not be the difference-maker.

Questioning the Bundesliga numbers is fine, but Sancho’s produced similarly in the Champions League, arguably the biggest stage. Does Saka score 17 times and assist 16 times if he’s playing in the Bundesliga? He might get there in a year or 2, but Saka’s still growing into that player.

Do you still think he’s better than Sterling was at this age? I’m not trying to mock :wink: @GC-Maniac

Put him in the same side as Dortmund and I think he does get similar numbers.

Btw, to address your previous question. It is a popular take I’m seeing online too. Maybe it’s just that Sancho’s numbers aren’t that good this season and he has been injured since March. Sancho is usually one of first to go when I see those England squad drafts and Saka usually makes it in there due to his versatility too.

From discussions I’ve had IRL I always hear the same about Sancho not looking that impressive for them either. Granted, their opinions is mainly derived from the Champions League and England.

If Saka is better than Sancho, would he not get better numbers? Dembele was excellent for Dortmund and he managed a mere 18 g+a.

Sancho hasn’t been effective for England. This is true, but I rate his talent highly. I don’t believe Carragher or Neville had him in their mock England squads, and only one of them had Bellingham. Neither had Saka.

It’s likely neither (Sancho or Saka) will go tbh unless injuries hit.

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Yeah, I think neither makes it anyway because Southgate will call up a thousand defenders. :rofl:

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Sancho has proven himself in a way that Saka simply hasn’t yet, I don’t think that can be denied. I wouldn’t be surprised if Saka ends up the better player in the end (he’s 1.5 years younger, which matters a lot) but right now Sancho is clearly ahead of him.

Fwiw, I do think there are some real questions about Sancho when you look at advanced stats. His G+A totals for BvB have consistently really outpaced his xG+xA and this is particularly true for the assists - maybe he is an above average finisher, but the gap between xA and A suggests that he is benefitting a lot from playing with teammates who can finish.

When you look at non-penalty xG+xA per 90 minutes in the Bundesliga, the leaders at the top are who you would suspect - Haaland, Lewandowski, Silva…and then Sancho is 23rd, right in the same neighborhood as players like Kingsley Coman, Breel Embolo, and Emil Forsberg. Last year he was 11th, the year before that 30th. Still very good numbers for a 20-21 year old, but not quite the same performance level as what the raw G+A totals would suggest. Those advanced stats aren’t the be-all-and-end all but I think they are at least a bit of a reason to pump the breaks on the notion that he is already a world class player or one of the best 2-3 players in the Bundesliga, as some people have claimed. I definitely would not want to spend 80-100m on him.

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Nice analysis! :clap:
You reckon Dortmund regret not selling him last summer?
And likewise, have Man Utd dodged a bullet? Could he have pushed them towards properly challenging City?

Well deserved Saka!

He beat out some other contenders like Mason Mount and Declan Rice. ESR was also nominated

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Can’t wait for him to pose with this.

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Won’t be playing for Arsenal when he does.

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MY manager

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Bang on

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He looked frustrated in the interview and I’m pretty sure I heard a similar interview from him this season.
@Stroller might be right that he won’t be here for long. It’s all well and good when he’s still developing but once he starts reaching top level performances consistently he may start looking elsewhere.

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I keep having to remind myself that even at this age, someone of his talent and also his drive will already be thinking in more ambitious terms than the club. It’s really scary if he of all players starts to get fed up but it won’t be a million miles off at the moment.

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One of the worst players on the pitch but ended up winning a lucky penalty and getting Capoue sent off. Hopefully he bounces back 2nd leg

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Yeah loath to criticise the lad but when you see Foden and Mount performances this week it’s fair to say he’s got along way too go.
He should get there but whether it’s here I doubt right now.
The above mentioned and the likes of TAA and Greenwood will have his ear at the Euros and your going to listen.

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He’s often been one of the worst performers on the pitch for a while now. It’s just glossed over by the odd moment that makes you think, wow this kid is 19.

I genuinely don’t think he should be a starting fixture in our team. His future is potentially really bright but I think how good he is right now is overstated by Arsenal fans.

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Yeah. Not to start comparing individuals but I think Mount has 2 years on him. Foden is in a great set up surrounded with quality players and system.

I’m not overly worried about his recent downturn, a bit of a reality check for him to get back to the drawing board and keep improving

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I think he’s definitely a starter in this current team but yeah he hasn’t done much in lots of games since maybe the Leeds one. Pepe looking more dangerous than Saka recently

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That’s the issue for me though. The quality on the flanks is lacking so much that we have to rely on a raw talent like saka to the extent that we do.

In this current team there is no alternative but there should be.

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