Bukayo Saka 'has an aura' - Mikel Arteta backs Arsenal's 'game-changer' to inspire Premier League title success

Saka has given the club a new “fear factor” in their push for glory. Despite being troubled by niggling injuries throughout the season, the England international is coming back to the boil at just the right time. Arsenal’s magical No.7 has developed an “aura” which makes him one of the most important players for both club and country ahead of this summer’s World Cup.

Saka has provided a huge lift in the run-in for the Premier League title race and recently scored the winner as the Gunners overcame Atletico Madrid to reach their first Champions League final in 20 years. He has looked sharp, fully fit, and has played a pivotal role in the mood shift which has left Arsenal on a high and chasing down a historic domestic and European double.

Arteta was full of praise for the Arsenal star and highlighted the impact he is having on the rest of the squad, as well as the psychological advantage he provides against opponents. Arteta said: “Obviously his role has grown around the club, around the team and on the pitch towards the opponent as well. You sense that. He has got a presence now, he has got an aura. He has got something special.”

The Gunners boss further emphasised that the 24-year-old is now the type of player who can decide high-stakes encounters on his own. Arteta added: “He is a different player, he is a player that can change a game at any moment. And creating that fear in the opponent is something important.”

It has not been a straightforward campaign for Saka, who has been troubled by different issues - including a knee problem and Achilles tendinitis. It required the winger to push through the pain barrier to reach peak condition for the final weeks of the season, a sacrifice that has not gone unnoticed by the coaching staff.

Arteta believes the period of absence may actually benefit the team during the final stretch. He revealed: “We would have loved to have him much more in recent weeks. But, I said to him: ‘If that’s the case, let’s use this in the best way - which is you are going to jump in fresh, motivated and with a different emotional state. You can really impact the team now’."

Beyond his technical ability, Saka has emerged as a key leader in the dressing room. His team-mates' respect is so high that Arteta often grants him the captain's armband ahead of other senior figures like Declan Rice and Gabriel when regular skipper Martin Odegaard is unavailable. Arteta feels fortunate to have a player who reflects the club's core values so consistently.

“I feel extremely lucky to find somebody at the club that you can lean into at any level, knowing that he's going to respond," Arteta said. "Knowing that his heart is in the right place, knowing that everything that he does comes beyond certain values, certain education, certain principles. It's been a joy. On the human level, I think we know him. And on the football level, what he has provided to this club and what he did the other night is just remarkable.”

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