ARSENAL fans have compared Bukayo Saka to seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi after his stunning display in the Europa League win over PSV Eindhoven.
The 21-year-old played 85 minutes in Thursday night’s 1-0 victory, producing a world-class performance despite not scoring or assisting.
Saka finished the game with a passing accuracy of 92 per cent, five key passes, three big chances created and a 100 per cent dribble success rate.
And his Man of the Match performance has seen Gunners fans compare him to Paris Saint-Germain ace Messi.
One fan said on Twitter: “Saka really is the closest thing to Messi out there.”
Another said: “He’s gone up half a level again. Saka is starting to play like a young Messi if he was human.”
However, Saka picked up an injury for his troubles.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta confirmed the England international was “limping a little bit” after being kicked.
The Spaniard said: “Yeah he got a kick, he was limping a little bit, but hopefully he will be alright.”
Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate will be hoping Saka’s injury isn’t too serious with the Qatar World Cup getting underway next month.
Southgate has already been left sweating in the full-back department, with Kyle Walker AND Reece James both in a race against time to feature in the winter tournament.
Both could still be taken and feature in the latter stages of the tournament should England get there.
Saka has five goals in 14 appearances this term, and Arteta will continue to play the winger despite the hectic schedule.
Arteta continued: “Look at the top players in the world, they play 70 matches, every three days and make the difference and win the game.
“You want to be at the top, you have to be able to do that. And if we start to put something different in the mind of a young player, I think we are making a huge mistake because then [he would] be like ‘no, I don’t play now, on astroturf I don’t play’.
“I don’t want that. I want them to be ruthless every three days.
“I want them knocking on my door (saying) ‘I want to play, I want to win the game’.
“There is no fitness coach in the world that is going to tell me that they cannot do it, because I’ve seen it.
“72 games and scored 50 goals. The players that score 50 goals do not play 38 games in the season, it’s just impossible.”
