Bukayo Saka’s red-hot form for Arsenal this season has seen him come in for a lot more attention from opponents, but is it now time for the England international to get more protection from referees?
Saka was on the receiving end of a number of particularly physical challenges in the Gunners’ 4-2 victory over Aston Villa last weekend with the winger visibly limping at times during the first half at Villa Park.
There were also signs of frustration from Saka after he was caught from behind by Philippe Coutinho towards the end of the opening 45 minutes. There was a reaction, a push to the chest of Coutinho and then Douglas Luiz was also shoved away by the Arsenal winger before Aaron Ramsdale and Jorginho intervened and took him away from the incident.
Saka, a cool, calm character normally, who has shown composure beyond his years this season, was frustrated, but is it a surprise when he is regularly targeted by the opposition for rough treatment?
Bukayo Saka shows his frustration against Aston Villa
‘Teams want to stop him’
“Teams are not stupid. They want to stop him,” said Mikel Arteta after the win at Aston Villa.
The 21-year-old’s form has been a key component of Arsenal’s success this season. He has nine goals and eight assists to his name already this season, so it is no wonder teams are trying to find ways of stopping him. Stop him and you can potentially stop Arsenal.
It’s something Arteta believes Saka will have to get used to.
“He’s going to have to deal with that, not every week, but every three days,” Arteta said. “It’s his game – teams are not stupid and they want to stop him. We need to protect him.”
Jorginho and Saka during Arsenal’s win at Villa
Saka’s team-mate Oleksandr Zinchenko went a step further.
“Bukayo is an unbelievable player,” the Ukraine international said. “All the full-backs from the other teams know he’s so dangerous, so they try to provoke him, tackle him and the referees should know this.
“We can speak about (Lionel) Messi, Cristiano (Ronaldo), Neymar and players like this. The referees need to protect this kind of player, they need to look after them.”
Targeting Saka is not a new phenomenon
Saka is arguably Arsenal’s most dangerous player and teams will be looking at ways of trying to stop him as his goals and assists continue to help Arsenal stay top of the Premier League table.
Back in November, Saka was forced off after half an hour in his side’s 5-0 win over Nottingham Forest after a poor challenge from Renan Lodi.
A couple of weeks later there was a clash on the touchline between Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta and Chelsea head coach Graham Potter, with the latter appearing to suggest Saka had gone down a little too easily under a challenge from Marc Cucurella. No foul was given.
Saka is the ninth-moist fouled player in the Premier League this season
Saka was also booked for simulation at Southampton when replays suggested he was unlucky to not have been given a foul.
Even last season, Saka was aware he was having to cope with a physical approach after another game at Villa Park. Saka told BT Sport after scoring the only goal in Arsenal’s 1-0 victory that he had talked to referee Andrew Madley at half-time about the treatment he was getting from the Villa players. Saka said: “I wasn’t complaining to the ref but I just wanted to let him know that’s my game, running at players with pace, and sometimes I need a bit more protection when players are purposefully trying to kick me.”
Then Villa boss Gerrard had little sympathy, though, saying: “It’s part of the game. The last time I checked it’s not a no-contact sport. I think tackles are allowed, physicality’s allowed. He’s a good player, he’s an outstanding talent and I love him. But he can’t complain about that side. That’s football.
“I’m sitting here now with screws in my hips, I’ve had about 16 operations, I’m struggling to go to the gym at the moment. That’s all on the back of earning a living in English football. He’ll learn and he’ll learn quick.”
Mikel Arteta has call for referees to keep a close eye on Saka’s treatment from opposition players.
However, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta had a different reaction to the same question, saying: “We have to listen to the players. They are the reason why we are all here.”
Back in November, Arteta made another call for referees to keep a close eye on Saka’s treatment from opposition players.
“The referees have the duties to deal with that,” he said. “The better the players become, the bigger target they become, because people try to find ways to stop him. That is why football has very clear rules, what you can do and what you cannot do, and that is the referee’s job.”
While Arteta’s calls for protection are aimed at the referees and the game’s authorities, he knows teams can be physical against Saka and against his team.
Physicality is a huge part of the game in England, and Arteta insists his side can also help in the protection of Saka, saying they need to be “more intelligent” in finding ways to place the winger in less risky situations.
He added: “It becomes about the timing, the decision making, the space you have generated before that action, and the understanding and knowledge of what is going to happen before it happens.
“Sometimes [we can improve] the type of ball we give him and when we give him certain balls.”
Saka was the most-fouled player in England’s World Cup quarter-final defeat to France
Where does Saka’s frustration come from?
Saka’s frustration has boiled over on a number of occasions in recent weeks
The frustration was clear from Saka last weekend at Villa. He also cut a frustrated figure for much of the game against Manchester City after a number of fouls on him by Bernardo Silva.
So, what’s going on?
In terms of fouls on Saka, the Arsenal forward is the ninth-most fouled player in the top flight. Since the start of the 2021/22 season Saka is the fifth-most fouled player in the league – numbers that don’t necessarily cause any reason for too much concern.
However, when you dig a little deeper, where Saka and Arsenal’s frustration comes is from the number of persistent fouls that go unpunished on the England winger.
This season Saka has been fouled 40 times, but he has only drawn four cards – just one booking for every 10 fouls.
How does that compare to other players in the Premier League?
Wilfried Zaha has seen nine cards shown to opposing players from 57 fouls (a card every 6.3 fouls), while Jack Grealish has drawn 10 cards from 49 fouls (a card every 4.9 fouls).
Meanwhile, Tottenham striker Harry Kane has been fouled 34 times and seen six cards shown, and even Saka’s Arsenal team-mate Gabriel Jesus has had more protection with seven cards shown from 38 fouls.
The game against Man City was a case in point. Bernardo Silva was penalised three times for fouls on Saka in the first half, but it wasn’t until the third in stoppage time at the end of the half that the Portugal international was cautioned.
Bernardo Silva paid close attention to Saka in Man City’s 3-1 win at ARsenal
To add to the frustration, Saka has found himself going into the referee’s notebook a fair few times already this season.
He has been shown five yellow cards so far, averaging 4.8 fouls per booking he receives meaning he is twice as likely to pick up a caution for any foul he commits as an opponent is for fouling him.
Saka key to Arsenal’s title chances
The handling of Saka is not the only issue Arsenal have had with the officials this season.
A couple of weeks ago, the Gunners were denied victory against Brentford due to a costly VAR error – and it was not the first time that had happened this season with controversial VAR calls contributing towards Arsenal dropping points on four separate occasions.
However, the calls for protection for Saka and the frustration over his treatment are more than just another episode in Arsenal vs PGMOL.
So far this season Saka has started every single game for Arsenal in the Premier League and with 17 goal involvements in his last 19 games, it’s understandable why the Gunners won’t want to lose him.
Saka celebrates his goal at Villa Park
Arsenal are looking to win the title for the first time in 19 years and keeping Saka fit and firing may be their best chance of getting over the line and lifting the trophy in May.
So far he has avoided serious injury to be an ever-present for the Gunners in the league, but will that continue without sufficient protection?
Arsenal’s recent history has seen significant injuries to Eduardo da Silva, Abou Diaby and Aaron Ramsey, and while the latter went on to win three FA Cups with the Gunners, all three were not the same players as before their injuries.
Arsenal will be hoping to avoid a repeat with Saka.
