Is Bukayo Saka getting back to his best at Arsenal? – BBC Sport
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Is Saka getting back to his best at Arsenal?
Image source: Getty Images
Image caption: Bukayo Saka scored 11 goals and provided nine assists in all competitions for Arsenal last season.
By Alex Howell, Arsenal reporter
Published 17 minutes ago
Bukayo Saka’s performance in Arsenal’s impressive opening-day win has already convinced some fans the Gunners are going to defend their Premier League crown.
The 24-year-old winger managed his game time for Arsenal and England at the World Cup due to an Achilles injury sustained in March. He returned to help Arsenal lift the Premier League title last season, but was taken off during the Champions League final loss to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in Budapest, with his performance criticised.
England manager Thomas Tuchel also limited Saka’s minutes at the World Cup, but he said it was a "gamble" he was willing to take, accepting judgment while not 100% fit.
Saka looks sharp this campaign, scoring against Coventry City on Friday in Arsenal’s 3-0 win. His return to form is welcomed by supporters, particularly after a stop-start season last year where he still made 49 appearances for the club.
Did Saka’s World Cup play a part in his sharpness this season?
Saka started just three of England’s eight World Cup games, including scoring a hat-trick in the third-place win over France. That secured England’s best finish at a World Cup held abroad.
Despite contributing three assists and three goals during the tournament (a goal involvement every 60 minutes), Saka played only 357 minutes, just 48% of England’s total minutes across eight matches.
Saka returned to Arsenal post-World Cup and made his first appearance of the season in the Community Shield.
