Arsenal: 3 huge positives from Leicester disappointment

2. Bukayo Saka is a star

At 18 years of age, you sometimes hope that a young player can break into the first team and produce a handful of bright moments in a season, just little glimpses of what they may be one day capable of. It is foolish to expect them to break into the starting XI on a consistent basis and dominate. And yet, that is precisely what Bukayo Saka has done under Arteta’s guidance.

This time playing off the right flank, Saka showed off his wing ability time and again. He, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette formed a superb front three, especially in the first half. They exploited the space Leicester afforded them, pulled the back three to shreds with quick combinations and superb movement, and could have scored far more than the one they did.

Arteta praised Saka’s accuracy and precision in his post-match press conference:

“He’s really good and really accurate. He’s very precise in the final third and the closer he gets to the box actually, the picture is clearer for him, but he will score a lot of goals because he has really good quality in terms of finishing with both feet. He’s learning a different role from the one that I demanded him to play again today and in some moments he had some difficulties, but he also read some situations really, really well and he was a threat.”

Saka notched his 12th assist in all competitions. He now has the joint-second-most direct goal involvements in the squad. He is an absolute star.

<p>So, in the spirit of being positive, here are three huge plus points from <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/08/arsenal-3-huge-positives-leicester-disappointment/2/"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/53283237">the 1-1 draw</a>.</p> <div id="attachment_103151" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-103151" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/08/arsenal-3-huge-positives-leicester-disappointment/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1254868379-850x560.jpeg" alt="" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img"> <p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 07: Dani Ceballos of Arsenal reacts during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Leicester City at Emirates Stadium on July 07, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)</p> </div> </div> <h4>3. Dani Ceballos can be midfield solution</h4> <p>Throughout his time as Arsenal head coach, Mikel Arteta has been searching for a solution to his central midfield. What has become painfully obvious is that the current players at his disposal simply lack the requisite quality to perform at the level he needs. Granit Xhaka may be integral, but he is limited. Matteo Guendouzi is seemingly on his way out of the club. Lucas Torreira has been injured. But perhaps <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/08/arsenal-3-huge-positives-leicester-disappointment/2/"https://paininthearsenal.com/?s=dani+ceballos%22>Dani Ceballos</a> can yet be a long-term answer at the position.</p> <p>On loan from Real Madrid, Ceballos has been inconsistent in his first season at Arsenal. For that very reason, questions were asked as to whether the club should pursue a permanent deal in the summer. However, as his recent performances have proven, his high-end potential is tantalising and Arteta seems to know how to get the best out of him. <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/08/arsenal-3-huge-positives-leicester-disappointment/2/"https://www.arsenal.com/news/when-you-have-them-there-you-must-kill-them">In his post-match press conference</a>, Arteta praised Ceballos’ performance:</p> <blockquote class="left ampstart-">“He was superb again &lt;…&gt; Defensively, Dani has made a big step forward with the way he is pressing, the amount of interceptions that he is putting in and he is enjoying it &lt;…&gt; I am really happy with him, I think it is something that the club has to go a little bit further with Real Madrid on. At the moment he is playing very well, I am really happy with him and he is a big talent.”</blockquote> <p>Arteta made reference to the decision Arsenal must now make, but Ceballos is doing all he can to prove his worth.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/08/arsenal-3-huge-positives-leicester-disappointment/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 2. Bukayo Saka is a star </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_103133" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-103133" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/08/arsenal-3-huge-positives-leicester-disappointment/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1254867224-850x560.jpeg" alt="Arsenal, Bukayo Saka, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img"> <p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">Arsenal, Bukayo Saka, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)</p> </div> </div> <h4>2. Bukayo Saka is a star</h4> <p>At 18 years of age, you sometimes hope that a young player can break into the first team and produce a handful of bright moments in a season, just little glimpses of what they may be one day capable of. It is foolish to expect them to break into the starting XI on a consistent basis and dominate. And yet, that is precisely what<a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/08/arsenal-3-huge-positives-leicester-disappointment/2/"https://paininthearsenal.com/?s=bukayo+saka%22> Bukayo Saka</a> has done under Arteta’s guidance.</p> <div class="recent-posts "> <h4>More from <b>Pain in the Arsenal</b></h4> <ul> <li> <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/08/arsenal-3-huge-positives-leicester-disappointment/2/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/11/10/arsenal-interest-miguel-gutierrez-girona/"> Fabrizio Romano confirms Arsenal interest in Girona star </a> </li><li> <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/08/arsenal-3-huge-positives-leicester-disappointment/2/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/11/10/when-will-martin-odegaard-return-from-his-injury/"> When will Martin Odegaard return from his injury? </a> </li><li> <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/08/arsenal-3-huge-positives-leicester-disappointment/2/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/11/10/2-midfielders-arsenal-could-sign-in-january-transfer-window/"> 2 midfielders Arsenal could sign in January transfer window </a> </li><li> <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/08/arsenal-3-huge-positives-leicester-disappointment/2/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/11/10/thomas-partey-unlikely-to-play-for-arsenal-again-in-2023/"> Thomas Partey unlikely to play for Arsenal again in 2023 </a> </li><li> <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/08/arsenal-3-huge-positives-leicester-disappointment/2/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/11/10/predicted-arsenal-lineup-vs-burnley-saka-fit-to-start/"> Predicted Arsenal lineup vs Burnley: Saka fit to start? </a> </li></ul> </div> <p>This time playing off the right flank, Saka showed off his wing ability time and again. He, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette formed a superb front three, especially in the first half. They exploited the space Leicester afforded them, pulled the back three to shreds with quick combinations and superb movement, and could have scored far more than the one they did.</p> <p>Arteta praised Saka’s accuracy and precision in his post-match press conference:</p> <blockquote class="left ampstart-">“He’s really good and really accurate. He’s very precise in the final third and the closer he gets to the box actually, the picture is clearer for him, but he will score a lot of goals because he has really good quality in terms of finishing with both feet. He’s learning a different role from the one that I demanded him to play again today and in some moments he had some difficulties, but he also read some situations really, really well and he was a threat.”</blockquote> <p>Saka notched his 12th assist in all competitions. He now has the joint-second-most direct goal involvements in the squad. He is an absolute star.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/08/arsenal-3-huge-positives-leicester-disappointment/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 1. 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Mikel Arteta is making progress</h4> <p>While Arsenal harboured hopes of reclaiming Champions League status with a late run into the top-five positions, in reality, the latter weeks of this current season were more about the progress that <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/08/arsenal-3-huge-positives-leicester-disappointment/2/"https://paininthearsenal.com/?s=mikel+arteta%22>Mikel Arteta</a> could make as a head coach and not the results on the pitch.</p> <p>Of course, Arteta wanted to win matches, as any manager does. But he is embarking on a long-term project at the club and the present results, if they do not count towards Champions League football, are relatively meaningless. This is about laying down the foundations for what is to come, and in that regard, Arteta is making great progress.</p> <p>The first-half performance was Arsenal’s best since he arrived. Against a high-quality team, they dominated, created some excellent chances, pressed high up the pitch to suffocate their opponent’s play and control the game, and were unfortunate to not be more than one goal in the ascendency.</p> <div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="Arsenal Vs Leicester City: 5 things we learned" data-url="https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/07/arsenal-vs-leicester-city-5-things-learned-positives-despite-disappointment/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/08/arsenal-3-huge-positives-leicester-disappointment/2/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/07/arsenal-vs-leicester-city-5-things-learned-positives-despite-disappointment/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> Arsenal Vs Leicester City: 5 things we learned </a> </div> </div> <p>As the performance, if not the result, proves, Arteta is having a positive impact at the club. And for now, nothing is more important than that.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">