Bukayo Saka is "starting to feel good again" after continuing his injury comeback on the international stage with an England goal. The Arsenal superstar sent Wembley into raptures with a thunderous strike as the Three Lions swept aside Wales 3-0 in a commanding friendly victory that had redemption written all over it.
Bukayo Saka etched his name into history on Thursday night, becoming Arsenal’s all-time leading men’s goalscorer for England after netting a stunning strike against Wales. Just a day after celebrating five years since his Three Lions debut, the 23-year-old produced a trademark curling finish to register his 13th goal for the national team and surpass Gunners' legend Cliff Bastin’s record.
England warmed up for next week's World Cup qualifier away at Latvia with a 3-0 thrashing of rivals Wales in a friendly at Wembley Stadium on Thursday night. Thomas Tuchel had the perfect response to any critics who have taken aim at his team's style of play or his squad selection, with the Three Lions quickly racing into an unassailable lead and flexing their strength at picking holes in deep blocks.
England raced into a 3-0 lead against Wales in their friendly on Thursday night. Bukayo Saka bagged the Three Lions' third with a stunning finish from 20 yards out, leaving Dragons shotstopper Karl Darlow clutching at thin air. Morgan Rogers had fired England ahead in the third minute before Aston Villa teammate Ollie Watkins doubled their advantage eight minutes later.
Jude Bellingham has been left out of the latest England squad despite recovering from injury, with the Real Madrid midfielder failing to make Thomas Tuchel’s plans for a friendly date with Wales and a 2026 World Cup qualifier against Latvia. Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka is absorbed back into the fold after overcoming fitness issues of his own, while Everton forward Jack Grealish remains in the international wilderness.
Arsenal are preparing a blockbuster new contract for Bukayo Saka that will make the England international one of the top earners at the North London club. Saka has entered the final two years of his existing deal with the Gunners and the club now want their star player to put pen to paper on a new deal and commit his future to them on a long-term basis.
There was an amusing moment at the end of Michael Arteta's pre-match press conference on Tuesday when a reporter asked if the 15-year-old Max Dowman had been included in the Arsenal squad for the Carabao Cup clash with Port Vale the following evening. "Yes," Arteta immediately responded, before then quipping, "Well, it depends, I might put the handbrake on!"
Arsenal laboured against a spirited Port Vale to ease into the League Cup fourth round, courtesy of Eze's first goal in a Gunners shirt early in the first half and a late strike from substitute Trossard. The Gunners made a flying start to the match, scoring inside the opening 10 minutes and looked like they would blow League One Vale away. But chances were hard to come by and the hosts enjoyed more possession as the match progressed, then Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta introduced Trossard who secured the win with five minutes remaining.
Bukayo Saka is in contention to feature in Arsenal’s heavyweight clash with Manchester City on Sunday after returning to first-team training ahead of the game. The forward has missed the Gunners last three fixtures in all competitions against Liverpool, Nottingham Forest and Athletic Club after picking up a hamstring injury in his side’s 5-0 Premier League victory over Leeds on August 23.
Noni Madueke has been told that he is "better than Bukayo Saka", with Paul Parker questioning Chelsea's' "strange" decision to let the England winger join Arsenal. Madueke completed a £50 million ($67.8m) switch to Stamford Bridge in the summer transfer window. The 23-year-old starred for England on Tuesday as Thomas Tuchel's side thrashed Serbia 5-0.
The 'early indications' for Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard's injuries have been revealed as Arsenal sweat on the pair's availability for their crunch Premier League clash against Liverpool next week. Saka and Odegaard were both subbed off during the Gunners' 5-0 win over Leeds on Saturday after suffering knocks, leaving Mikel Arteta fearing the worst.
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