Bukayo Saka has not been at his very best over the last few months, with concerns growing that he may not have fully recovered from the injury he suffered last season. Despite this, he remains one of Arsenal’s most important players and one of the finest academy graduates the club has produced in recent years. His influence on the team is undeniable, even during periods when his form has dipped.
Growing Reliance on the Right Wing
Saka continues to work tirelessly to deliver strong performances whenever he plays, and his importance has arguably increased since the arrival of Noni Madueke, who now provides competition on the right wing. Together, they make that side of Arsenal’s attack reliable and productive. However, this strength has also highlighted an imbalance elsewhere in the team.
The left wing has struggled to reach the same level of effectiveness, with Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard failing to consistently match the output seen on the opposite flank. As a result, Arsenal has become increasingly dependent on Saka and Madueke to create danger, placing additional responsibility on the right side of the pitch. This lack of balance has made Arsenal’s attacking play more predictable and has limited their overall threat in key moments.
Such reliance is not ideal for a team aiming for sustained success. For Arsenal to improve in the coming weeks, there must be a greater contribution from the left side, easing the burden on Saka and allowing the attack to function more evenly. Without that improvement, opponents will continue to focus their defensive efforts on neutralising Arsenal’s most productive area.
Concerns Highlighted by Richards
Former defender Micah Richards has also noticed this issue and shared his assessment, according to the Metro. He said, “They’re too reliant on Saka all the time. If you look at Trossard and Martinelli, they need to do what Saka is doing from the left. It feels like all the dangerous play comes from Saka and the right-hand side. Eze needs to do more as well.”
Richards’ comments underline a growing concern around Arsenal’s attacking balance. While Saka remains central to their success, the team must find solutions that reduce their dependence on him. Improving output from the left wing would not only strengthen Arsenal as a whole but also help protect one of their most valuable players as the season progresses.
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Yet Trossard has score more goals, and Martinelli has in the CL this season, amazing what crap pundits will say when desperate for media attention
Was going to say, I think we’ve relied more on trossard than saka this season.
imagine. please research
I think Derek and myself pointed this out after the Wolves game, particularly after Saka had such an innefective game up to the 70th minute.
Of course we want the left hand side to be just as effective, but that means changing the tunnel vision of thinking Saka every time we get the ball.
He is so closely marked these days, by a minimum of two players and he is showing signs of a burn out.
If Saka plays against Everton, watch how many times the examples above happen, especially if Odegaard plays.
Ken1945,
I totally agree with you regards this post. 👍
Thing is,every team on the planet relies more on some players than others.Saka is our star man.You can say that City rely on Haaland more than anyone and Liverpool on Salah for the last decade. It’s just how it is and often even wages reflect this.
Having said that, I think we have reduced our reliance on Saka this season,so much so that I haven’t heard complaints about the left side being dysfunctional,until recently. Trossard and Calafiori have been a huge part of that. It’s not a coincidence that our reliance on Saka increased following the absence of these two.
I love Martinelli, but he’s not good at taking care of the ball like Trossard and Saka. He’s the kind of player more useful at getting on the end of actions-essentially a finisher.
The fact that Saka doesn’t have as many goals and assists as he did in previous seasons further illustrates that we have reduced our reliance on him. Other players like Eze and Trossard are contributing too.