Ladies and gentlemen, Bukayo Saka is back. Wow, what a sight that was. Three months Arsenal fans have had to stand by to watch him kick a ball again and boy was it worth the wait.
The club’s heralded number 7 hasn’t been seen since sustaining a hamstring injury against Crystal Palace on 21st December and since then, the Gunners’ title challenge has been extinguished swiftly.
Yet, there is still hope for Arsenal’s season. Despite their 2-1 win over Fulham on Tuesday evening, a game Saka scored in, they are unlikely to win the Premier League title.
However, the winger’s return is timely with Real Madrid to look forward to in just under a week’s time in the Champions League.
For once, Mikel Arteta has a bunch of positives to swoon over. That hasn’t been said too often about the club’s season now has it?
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The biggest positives from Arsenal's win over Fulham
Oh Saka, you little beauty. It’s been a hellish 12 week period for Arsenal since the Englishman took to the field but he is back and back with a bang.
He had only been on the field for seven minutes before he found the net. It wasn’t in classic Saka fashion but it raised the roof off the Emirates Stadium nonetheless.
Mikel Merino moved into the left channel and swung in a ball that was guided towards Saka with remarkable skill and audacity by Gabriel Martinelli.
The returning hero was just inches out from goal and couldn’t miss, heading the ball past former Gunner Bernd Leno.
Saka wasn’t the only positive either, far from it. The aforementioned Merino and Martinelli were both in top form, the former scoring the game’s opening goal and the latter unfortunate not to leave proceedings with a goal to his name as well.
Minutes played
24
Touches
13
Accurate passes
7/8 (88%)
Key passes
0
Shots on target
1
Accurate crosses
1/1
Duels won
1/3
Was fouled
x1
The Brazilian was a constant livewire, not just providing the assist for Saka’s goal, a game-winning strike, but he also found the back of the net himself, albeit it was ruled out for offside.
Nonetheless, it was phenomenal to see the winger back at top speed. He was a constant nuisance throughout, terrorising Fulham’s Timothy Castagne with a performance that was remeniscent of 2022/23 Martinelli.
He left the field having had three shots, completed two dribbles and produced five key passes.
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Beyond Saka’s incredible return, the biggest positive that aside was perhaps the performance of the club’s makeshift centre-forward.
Arsenal have found their modern-day Olivier Giroud
When Gabriel Jesus went down with an injury during Arsenal’s FA Cup exit at the hands of Manchester United, there was a collective panic. But…it was alright…they were going to strengthen in the January transfer window. Famous last words and all that.
Arsenal did not strengthen. Their reward? A season-ending injury for Kai Havertz too.
Since then, Arteta has preferred to field the aforementioned Merino as his out and out centre-forward and it’s had mixed success.
Truth be told, the £28m summer arrival has done an admiral job. He’s scored five goals in eight games as a striker. Had he started the campaign as the club’s number 9, he’d on for a 23-goal season. Not bad indeed.
Unlike many others during the club’s injury-hit season, he’s stepped up big time and in the words of Arsenal writer Oli Price Bates, is “not getting enough credit for his performances.”
Another game came and went against Fulham where the Spaniard made quite the impression. His goal was a scruffy finish, finding the net via a deflection but it was a crucial goal all the same.
It’s not the first time the former Real Sociedad man has come up trumps, notably scoring that brace off the bench in the 2-0 win over Leicester City.
Since then, he’s been much-maligned, rather in the same way as a certain Olivier Giroud. Now, there are clear differences between the two. Giroud was a direct centre-forward first and foremost.
However, there are specific similarities in the way the two play the game. The Frenchman scored some beautiful goals but he always had quite an awkward play style, a technique that looked rather awkward. At the same time, his left peg was certainly pretty special.
Those traits can certainly be applied to Merino too. He’s not the most technically elegant – he’s a bit scruffy and awkward like Giroud. He’s also pretty underappreciated and underrated. That’s not to mention their ability to act as target men and link play too.
Minutes played
90
Touches
28
Accurate passes
14/16 (88%)
Key passes
1
Shots
2
Shots on target
1
Accurate crosses
1/1
Duels won
3/9
Tackles
2
Interceptions
1
Against Fulham, the Spain international certainly showcased that. He scored the opening goal and went on to complete 88% of his passes and make a key pass too. The 28-year-old was subsequently handed an 8/10 player rating by GOAL.
Merino’s future is certainly not in the final third but credit where credit is due, he’s been a huge servant to Arteta in the back end of this unforgiving season for Arsenal.
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