International guys get a bit of extra time off, but we fly off to the states I think in about 3-4 weeks - I'd imagine all the big hitters will be there for that.

Any mention of an achilles injury is concerning. Hope he gets a rest.

I don't watch or care about international football for the most part, but those are three goals that showcase just what an incredible footballer he is.

For me, he's the best and smartest attacker in the Premier League.

I can definitely agree with smartest, unless KDB counts maybe. However, do you think he should've gotten Premier League Player of the Season @Ricky1985?

I would've easily picked Haaland's and Kane's seasons and it's not particularly close.

I don't know if he should or shouldn't have won PotS - it's hard to separate the individual's season from the context of the team as a whole. I don't think it matters tbh.

But imo Saka is the best pure attacker in the League on ability alone. Just about every facet of his game is not just good, it's fantastic. KDB for me is one of the smartest players in the League atm, but not when compared to similar players of the recent past - I think he just has absolutely extraordinary ball-striking technique. That's his superstar quality, not his intelligence. For example, I'd say Ødegaard has much better awareness and intelligence.

But I was talking more about pure attackers when I mentioned Saka. Someone like Bernado Silva is similarly intelligent and aware, but he's not a pure attacker who has to also be the tip of the spear in the way Saka is.

The kid is absolutely extraordinary!

A pure attacker surely Haaland is better?

If I'm building a fantasy team, and I get to choose any attacker in the Premier Legaue as my first pick, I'm picking Saka.

    Ricky1985 I'm with you. Haaland is amazing and no one will score as many as him but there are strikers in the PL you could put in your XI who'll still score plenty. I don't see anyone else who can give you close to what Saka does. He's not someone who can be measured purely on the numbers, even though they are great too.

      madness. you take haaland all day and every day. i can find a winger to give me some numbers. i'll take a combo of say haaland and trossard over saka and whatever striker you think is the equivalent value of trossard.

        Any mention of the achilles is worrying. Wilshere's first big injury after the breakout season he had was the achilles. I hope he is taken care of and not pushed.

        Meatwad

        Bigging up Haaland, playing down Saka. That's all I need to know.

          It's a joke because of something Meatwad said in another thread.

          a month later

          Think he'll be widely recognised as the best right wing forward in the world by the end of the season. The boy's a baller!

          I think he's slowly getting to that Messi-type finishing where he often places it where he's most likely to score and the shot doesn't look that good in real time but still just out of reach.

          a month later

          https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/aug/25/bukayo-saka-nothing-worth-having-is-easy-its-about-how-much-you-want-it-arsenal?CMP=share_btn_tw

          Good interview. I'm constantly impressed with how quickly he seems to mature. He seems to be a very good kid, who displays intelligence and wisdom beyond his years (or at least, beyond his peers - I still can't get over Cole Palmer not knowing what a 'sighter' was when interviwed after the Community Shield, or the stupidity of Jack Grealish in general! Man, these "kids"...) whenever a journalist asks him a question. And he's also ambitious in absolutely the best way.

          Few points on Saka (not just based on today);

          1) we desperately need another RW to drive a rocket up Saka ass and to keep him fresh as well
          2) I see an air of complacency with Saka - too much praise has got to his head
          2) if he wants to be as good as Mo Salah or considered the ‘best winger in the league’ he can’t think he’s already that. Got to be hungry every single week.
          4) full backs are slowly figuring him out, when was the last time he owned one properly? Even Monday night Mitchel performed well against him and in 2023 various full backs have out performed him like Ake

          Love Saka and appreciate teams can double up on him but as our talisman needs to step up.

          This could be a wider issue but I really think last season could be very dangerous in making some players and our manager think they are better than they actually are.

            Sicario2 - Tier 1 not trying to be funny - well, maybe a little bit - but aren't points 1-3 here really just three different ways of saying the same thing?

            The whole team hasn't quite figured out how to get going yet, it's natural that Saka would also be affected by the amount of churn in the first team, especially without his mate Benny White on the overlap.