Bukayo Saka Mikel Arteta Arsenal 2022-23

'We have a stick ready' - Mikel Arteta jokes how Arsenal will deal with Bukayo Saka hype

Mikel Arteta has joked that Arsenal ‘always have a stick ready’ to ensure Bukayo Saka doesn’t let the hype get to his head.

Saka has scored 12 Premier League goals this season
He also has 10 assists
Saka will start for Arsenal against Leeds on Saturday

WHAT HAPPENED? The Gunners winger has been in sensational from of late, starring both club and country.

He was named the Premier League’s player of the month for March after scoring three goals in four games for Arsenal and last weekend he claimed the man of the match award after inspiring England to victory over Ukraine at Wembley.

🏆 TOP STORY: Barcelona confirm Messi return talks

📣 HAVE YOUR SAY: Can Man City catch Arsenal?

🚨 MUST READ: How chasing Man City broke Liverpool

WHAT THEY SAID: Saka’s impressive form have seen showered with plaudits, but Arteta insists he is not worried about the 21-year-old letting all the attention get to him. “He’s so humble,” said the Arsenal boss. “He knows where this is coming from and he knows it’s like a cloud, here one moment and gone tomorrow. So keep your eyes open and be alert because this industry is very tough.

Article continues below

“He’s going to have to deal with the expectations of the media, with attention on the pitch. When you want to fulfil a role like the one he has at the moment, you need to be capable of doing that. We have to help him. So don’t read too much, don’t listen too much, just focus on what you have to do every day. That’s it. And we always have a stick ready, don’t worry.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Arteta, whose side host Leeds on Saturday, also says that Saka still has plenty he can work on, despite all the praise that is currently coming his way.

Next Match

The Gunners boss said: “I’m a really young coach but I have talked to coaches who have been in different sports for 50 years and one day I asked them one question: have you ever coached a player that has fulfilled, in your opinion, his potential? And the answer from all five of them was no. And you’re talking there about Michael Jordan and people like that – they could still get better. So everyone can get better, an athlete can always improve, there are areas that can always be done better and for sure, if that’s the case, Bukayo can do a lot of things much better still.”

IN THREE PHOTOS: