Sport

Arsenal’s Champions League hopes rest on Saka

Declan Rice had the night of his life against Real Madrid last week. The midfielder’s two freekicks in the first leg of Arsenal’s Champions League quarter-final were the highlight of a momentous evening for the North London club, but it was another player in red who makes the Gunners genuine European contenders.

Bukayo Saka was back to his best against the Spanish giants. His teammates weren’t always on the same wavelength – see the two balls Saka put across the six-yard box in the first half that weren’t capitalised on – but the 23-year-old gave Arsenal a different dimension. The sort of dimension they lacked without him. Saka makes Arsenal a different side.

Nobody has registered more assists for Arsenal this season than Saka. While Mikel Arteta largely sets up his team to have control, Saka is the one player who gives the Gunners explosiveness in the final third. He is willing to take on opponents and make the most of the one-on-one situations Arteta’s system creates for him.

“He’s very important, he gives us a level of threat, connection and unpredictability that at the moment no other player can provide us,” said Arteta about Saka. “He has the power to lift the stadium, which is incredible because shifting the energy in the stadium is something which is very hard to do and when a player can do that it’s a great addition and quality to have.”

Saka’s injury came at the worst possible time for Arsenal’s Premier League title challenge. The winger missed three months of action, suffering a torn hamstring before Christmas and only returning to first team football at the start of April. By the time Saka was back, Liverpool were out of sight at the top of the table. The title race was over.

In the Champions League, though, Arsenal still have an opportunity to make a deep run, especially after last week’s 3-0 win over Real Madrid. The Gunners have one foot in the competition’s semi-finals and Saka is doing more than anyone else to propel Arteta’s team forward on the continent. He is Arsenal’s star man, and has been for a number of seasons.

Should Arsenal complete the job against Real Madrid on Wednesday, a trip to France to face Paris Saint-Germain likely awaits in the final four. Luis Enrique’s team have made themselves the team to beat in this season’s Champions League after knocking out Liverpool, but Arsenal could have the threat to expose them.

With Kai Havertz out injured until the end of the season, Arteta has leaned into a quick transition approach in recent weeks. This was evident in the way Thomas Partey found the back of the net against Brentford on Saturday as the Gunners went from back to front in a matter of seconds. It could be an effective ploy in a semi-final against PSG.

The success and failure of Arsenal’s 2024/25 campaign will be determined by how far they go in the Champions League. The Gunners were unable to keep up with Liverpool in the title race and suffered early exists in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup. Another trophy-less season would be a serious disappointment.

Saka, however, is one of the best players in the world in his position. He is capable of winning a match on his own and is getting sharper and sharper with every match he plays following injury. Arteta has moulded his Arsenal team around Saka. The Gunners play to his strengths and the Champions League could be where the winger makes his biggest impact.