Liverpool boss Arne Slot praises ‘special’ Arsenal star | OneFootball

Arne Slot has admitted Bukayo Saka played an outstanding game against Liverpool, following their 2-2 draw with Arsenal on Sunday.

LONDON, ENGLAND: Arne Slot, Manager of Liverpool, looks on after the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Liverpool FC at Emirates Stadium on October 27, 2024. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

One of the major injury doubts ahead of Arsenal’s game against Liverpool was around Bukayo Saka, with the player having missed the Gunners’ previous two games with a hamstring problem he picked up on international duty.

Even if he was fit to start, there were still question marks about whether Saka could get up to the pace of the game, and how long he’d last in it.

So it was very pleasing to see the winger making an immediate impact, scoring the opening goal in the first 10 minutes.

LONDON, ENGLAND: Bukayo Saka of Arsenal celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Liverpool FC at Emirates Stadium on October 27, 2024. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Speaking after the game, Liverpool boss Arne Slot admitted Saka had shown his quality on the day.

“Yeah, the first goal was an example of this where you saw the quality of Saka,” Slot said.

“Maybe we had to do better but sometimes you have to give credit to these special wingers who are playing these games and I think Saka, especially in the first half, played an outstanding game.”

It’s true that Saka’s performance dropped off a little in the second half.

Given his fitness issues, that was hardly surprising, and he wasn’t helped by Arsenal’s levels dipping as a whole, particularly with the injuries to Gabriel and Jurrien Timber.

LONDON, ENGLAND: Bukayo Saka of Arsenal celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Liverpool FC at Emirates Stadium on October 27, 2024. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

But looking at the game overall, Saka showed his vital importance to Arsenal once again.

The winger now has 11 goal contributions in his first 11 games of the new season, with four goals and seven assists making up that tally and Arsenal’s only defeat coming in his absence.