Bukayo Saka: What Arteta has already taught me

Nigerian youngster, Bukayo Saka says he has learnt a lot from Arsenal’s new coach, Mikel Arteta already.

Not only did the 18-year-old become the third-youngest player to start a Premier League game for Arsenal during the draw at Everton, he has also featured largely out of position in an unfamiliar role at left back.

But although it has been a challenge, Saka says Mikel Arteta’s influence has helped him settle into his first-team surroundings.

“He’s someone who understands the players, understands the club and all the ideas that he’s bringing in,” Saka said. “He has a clear strategy of how he wants us to play and we’re just really excited to work with him.

“He’s teaching us little things that we didn’t know before and just bringing in his own strategies, his own ways of playing. We can see that it’s going to work, we’re just looking forward to doing it.

“Maybe one thing that I’ve picked up straight away is that when nobody’s pressing you, you don’t need to pass the ball. What you can do is just get the ball, drive the ball forward a bit and wait for someone to come to you, commit a player, then pass it.

“Then that man will be free or that man will have less pressure on him. It’s just attracting players before you pass the ball off, which will help our team-mates a lot on the pitch.

“He has his own way, his own philosophy and he’s even talked about bringing his own philosophy to the club, to try to bring the club back to the direction we need to be in.

“We need to win games and win trophies. So, I feel like he has that vision and that strategy. He knows how he wants us to get there. If we can be on board and do what he wants us to, we’ll do well.”