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Gareth Southgate makes claim about Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka after England beat Netherlands at Euro 2024
Gareth Southgate has now been praising an understated aspect of Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka’s performance in England’s dramatic semi-final win.
Both Declan Rice and Saka will now be preparing to play in their first international final overseas – the first in England’s history.
The duo have started all six of England’s Euro 2024 games and have arguably become Southgate’s two most important players.
Rice doesn’t have a natural replacement in the squad, there’s no one who can play in a single pivot like the Arsenal midfielder.
Similarly, Saka has been Southgate’s everything man, tasked to defend and attack down the right.
That being said, Saka was causing Manchester City defender Nathan Ake all kinds of problems on Wednesday evening.
The Arsenal winger was often cutting inside, as he did to assist Harry Kane in earning England’s controversial penalty.
And although Southgate will have been equally impressed by Saka’s attacking exploits, the England manager couldn’t help but praise the 22-year-old’s defending at full-time.
Gareth Southgate left blown away by Bukayo Saka’s defending for England
Southgate was speaking in his press conference via and said that so many of his England players were making excellent ad-hoc decisions during the game.
And in particular the manager praised Saka, who had to constantly adapt to the way the game was progressing around him.
Southgate shared: “In the end the players made so many good decisions on the field – people like Bukayo Saka.
“The defensive responsibility he had, he started defending as a wing-back and he then had to go into midfield to defend, he had to defend as winger – there were so many things going on like that all night.
“I was really pleased with the quality of our play.”
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Of course, Saka will be tasked with a very similar role against Spain on Sunday, and will come up against Arsenal target Nico Williams on the right.
Perhaps Saka’s attacking exploits will be somewhat lessened against La Roja, given they pose much more attacking threat than any side England have faced at the tournament thus far.
And following news that Arteta wants Arsenal to buy Williams, it will be interesting to watch how the 21-year-old copes against England on such an occasion.