Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka came on as a second-half substitute during England’s recent 3-3 draw against Germany in their final game before the World Cup starts.
In the 24 minutes of action he played in last night’s draw, we feel he did enough to convince Gareth Southgate that he should be in the starting XI once the tournament begins, specifically in the right-wing position.
During his time on the pitch, Saka not only managed to provide the assist for Mason Mount’s goal that put the scoreline at 2-2, but he also managed to have a shot on target and complete one of the two dribbles he attempted.
This cameo performance ultimately earned the Arsenal star a respectable match rating of 6.8/10 from SofaScore, which is higher than the rating Raheem Sterling (5.8/10) managed to pick up even though he played more minutes than Saka.
To add to that, the Evening Standard had this to say about the winger’s display: “Made a big difference from the bench, adding verve to England’s attack and setting up Mount’s goal. Unlucky not to score a late winner when Ter Stegen turned his effort around the post.”
In our view, while the 21-year-old showed how effective he can be as a substitute, Saka should be Southgate’s first-choice player for the right-wing position once the World Cup in Qatar starts.
Bearing in mind how Phil Foden played in that role against Germany but was unable to have even one shot at goal or complete the one dribble he attempted in 66 minutes before being replaced by Saka, this could make it an easier decision for the England manager to make when the time comes.
Moving forward, if the Gunners figure can add more goals and assists to his tally at club level over the next few weeks, having already found the net on one occasion and delivered four assists, he will surely put himself in a good position to be a regular starter for England in the World Cup.
