Arteta reveals Saka joke after emphatic Lille cameo

After last night’s comprehensive 3-0 win over Lille, Mikel Arteta joked that he had “killed” Bukayo Saka in his pre-match press conference by challenging the winger to score two or three goals a game.

Saka’s form has attracted plenty of scrutiny despite his three goals in Arsenal’s opening four Premier League games. Injuries have interrupted his progress in recent seasons, leaving some supporters wondering whether he can build on the tally of 20 goals he hit in 2023/24.

Speaking on Monday , Arteta urged the Hale End graduate, and the team’s other attackers, to think more ambitiously about each match, extending the same challenge to the rest of his attack.