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Bukayo Saka admits ‘unbelievable’ Arsenal teammate works so hard in training every day
It was a big day for Bukayo Saka as he wore the captain’s armband for Arsenal for the first time, but it was teammate Eddie Nketiah who stole the headlines.
Saka to the club’s official website off the back of a brilliant 5-0 win over Sheffield United yesterday.
Mikel Arteta handed the 22-year-old the armband with Martin Odegaard starting on the bench.
He could have gone with Oleksandr Zinchenko or Declan Rice who are more vocal leaders on the pitch.
However, to have made the full journey from academy player to leading out the Gunners is a huge achievement for the winger.
It was his fellow Hale End graduate Eddie Nketiah who proved why Mikel Arteta is such a big fan yesterday.
An incredibly well-taken hat-trick saw him take home the match ball with his treble sealed by a wonderful strike from outside the area.
Bukayo Saka has admitted that the work Nketiah does on the Arsenal training ground is simply amazing.
He’s been offered another chance to break into the side following an injury to Gabriel Jesus picked up after a stunning performance against Sevilla.
Arteta has to stand up and take notice of a performance like the one Nketiah put in yesterday.
Saka lauds Arsenal teammate Nketiah
Asked about the 24-year-old, : “Three great goals especially the last one. It was unbelievable.
“That’s a man playing with confidence and hopefully he can continue to play like that.
“He’s also a man who works so hard, day in, day out. Not everyone sees it but I see it and if you ask the boys, they see it.
“He deserves this moment and he needs to enjoy it tonight for sure.”
Nketiah could have scored a fourth and matched a record set by Andrey Arshavin 14 years ago.
However, he handed a penalty to Fabio Vieira so he could get off the mark for the season, a decision that has baffled Alan Shearer.
That selflessness will make Nketiah a very popular figure among the Arsenal squad and when Saka was substituted, it was no surprise to see him hand the captain’s armband to the forward.
It capped off a perfect day for the 24-year-old who will now be turning his attention to the Carabao Cup tie against West Ham in midweek.