Mikel Arteta believes Bukayo Saka can push his goal tally higher. The Arsenal manager has called on the winger to find himself in goal-scoring positions more regularly and to embrace the possibility of missing chances as the team generates opportunities.
Saka answered his manager's challenge in the Champions League clash against Lille. Coming on as a substitute after half-time, the England international played a pivotal role in Arsenal's 3-0 victory, first assisting Eberechi Eze, before getting on the scoresheet himself.
This goal was particularly significant following a missed chance in the previous Premier League match against Leeds, where Saka squandered a one-on-one opportunity.
"He regularly finds himself in good positions, takes shots, scores with one touch, and finishes off moves in front of goal. That unpredictability is exactly what we need from him - otherwise, opponents will figure out how to contain him," Arteta explained.
The manager suggested that Saka could have netted another four or five goals this season. He believes the winger should set specific targets not just for the season, but for each match.
"When he talks about a specific number of goals, he needs to think about how many he should be scoring per game. If he changes his mindset, he will continue to find the right positions and score more," the Spaniard added.
Saka approaching new achievements
In his career, Saka has only hit 20 goals in a season once - during the 2023/24 campaign, tallying 16 in the Premier League.
Meanwhile, on the international stage, the winger has displayed high scoring form, netting five times in his last four matches for England, including a brace in a 7-0 demolition of Croatia in the Nations League.
Following his goal against Lille, Saka now has 19 goals in major European competitions for Arsenal, placing him second only to Thierry Henry, who scored 42.
In the Champions League, Saka has also notched up nine assists. The only players ahead of him in club history for this tournament are Henry with 16 assists and Cesc Fabregas with 14.
While Saka refrains from disclosing his personal goal tally ambitions, Arteta is pleased with how the player responded to his public challenge.
The manager revealed that Saka wasn't feeling his best leading up to the game against Lille and on match day itself, affecting his readiness to start. However, his desire to contribute from the bench was evident.
"He wasn't feeling great yesterday and today - he had something like an illness. He wasn't ready to start, but he really wanted to help the team if the opportunity arose. When he came on, he had a massive influence on the game and showed true quality," said Arteta.
Arteta also shared insights about their conversation after the press conference where he urged Saka to be more productive.
"I approached him as he was lying on the massage table and said, 'Bukayo, I've just gone at you in the press conference. Good luck tomorrow.' He laughed," Arteta revealed.
The manager emphasised that Saka understands the importance of such demands and aims to be the best version of himself.
Arteta believes that setting ambitious goals, putting in hard work, and maintaining consistency are key to Saka's further development, stressing that the young winger has all the attributes necessary to make a decisive impact in matches.
