At a Glance:
- Arsenal’s attacking struggles against Newcastle were best illustrated by one player
- Bukayo Saka’s return means that the Arsenal superstar must start
Arsenal’s returning stars should warrant starts in every game possible post-injury, and this could see the game time of other players lessen.
The Gunners’ 1-0 win against Newcastle saw Martin Odegaard start his second game in a row after returning against Manchester City, as well as a brief cameo from superstar Bukayo Saka, who is of huge importance to the team.
Attacking struggles have been a consistent issue for Mikel Arteta to battle with throughout the season, with players like Gabriel Martinelli, who might depart the club in the summer, and Viktor Gyokeres, who’s signing was somewhat of a controversial one, criticised routinely.
But one player has maybe escaped the headlines thanks to other players also having issues—and with Bukayo Saka returning, his inclusion in the starting 11 now seems somewhat unneeded.
Noni Madueke ineffective in two crucial aspects against Newcastle in forgetful performance
Noni Madueke’s summer signing from Chelsea for £48.5 million was not a move that was widely accepted by Arsenal fans at the time, despite the winger showing confidence in 1v1s and driving towards the goals within his time at the Gunners’ cross-city rivals.
Versus Newcastle, Madueke started on the right in place of the absent Saka, wo has not been in the Arsenal squad since the Carabao Cup final but would have his name listed on the bench today.
The Arsenal number 20 would not have his strongest of games, his one shot on target coming just over twenty minutes in, but it ultimately did not phase Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope, who would find himself in hot water later in the game.
Madueke was also unable to be effective in two specific areas relevant to both his own specialties and the Arsenal system: he was unable to successfully beat his man in either of his two dribbling attempts, and was also unable to accurately find his man in any of his three crosses into the box.
These are all attributes needed under the Arteta system, and to be struggling to create against 14th-placed Newcastle while Bukayo Saka waits on the bench is a cause for concern. Now, on that Saka appearance…
Bukayo Saka has the X-factor needed to see Arsenal over the line
Although both Noni Madueke and Bukayo Saka both scored the same rating, six, on Read Arsenal’s player ratings post-game, it is clear that Saka’s return added that needed bit of style to Arsenal’s passages of play.
Linking up with players like Martin Odegaard and Ben White has been Saka’s bread and butter over the past few seasons, and it has always been clear that the three have a good understanding of each other despite varying results.
It seems like Arsenal fans have forgotten just how good Saka is on his day, and while injuries have plagued him over the past couple of seasons, that his last fully fit season, 2023/24/ produced 16 goals and nine assists in the league. That is a player crucial to any title run-in.
