Arsenal are sitting top of the Premier League after a 1-0 win over Fulham on Saturday evening – and that has seen Micah Richards shower England star Bukayo Saka with praise.
The Gunners were behind Liverpool for the opening five games of the season given the Reds’ 100 percent record in the Premier League, but three losses for Arne Slot’s team have seen Arsenal take over as the side to catch in the table.
Mikel Arteta has seen his players win four of their last five games in the division, clearing second-placed Manchester City by three points in the table, and a huge reason for that has been Bukayo Saka’s return to the side.
And the Gunners captain has been praised by Micah Richards for his decision-making, with the pundit ranking the England star for being ‘one of the best in the world’.
Micah Richards waxes lyrical over Bukayo Saka’s decision making for Arsenal
Bukayo Saka didn’t manage to get himself on the scoresheet, or grab an assist, but it was his precise corner that found the head of Gabriel Magalhaes, who flicked on for Leandro Trossard to grab the only goal of the game.
It means that in just 201 Premier League appearances, Saka already has 55 goals and 51 assists, making him one of the most dangerous players in the league.
And Richards alluded to that fact by stating that although Saka may not have the blistering pace to beat defenders, he more than makes up for it by choosing the best pass every single time.
Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Richards said: “Don’t you think his decision making is just brilliant?
“When he’s going forward, he rarely misses a pass, and if he does make a bad pass, he’s trying to do something spectacular.
“If you look at his decision making on the pitch, he’s always in the right position, he can beat players, but he doesn’t always take the risk if he doesn’t have to. He keeps the ball more often than not, and then he’s decisive when he gets into the box.
“When you compare him to other players, other wingers may be better on a one-vs-one situation, but in terms of the consistency and decision making, he’s one of the best in world football.”
Arsenal have already faced tough games against Manchester United, Manchester City, Newcastle and Liverpool to start the campaign and a strong run of fixtures heading into the winter months could see them set the standard at the top of the league.
Bukayo Saka is the perfect attacker for Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal system
Although other players in world football such as Vinicius Jr, Raphinha, Lamine Yamal and Jeremy Doku have more natural speed and flair than the Arsenal winger, his output speaks for itself for both the Gunners and England, where Saka has been praised in the past by Wayne Rooney.
Despite injuries ruling Saka out in the early parts of the season, his style of play is what fits Arsenal so incredibly well as they look to finally win their first league title in over 20 years, having only conceded three goals in the Premier League.
The way the Gunners set up aims to pen teams in while being defensively solid, meaning they can rely on players supplying Saka with the ball to avoid the frantic nature of unsettling their shape and being hit on the counter attack.
There is no need for pace, there is no real need for trickery – but Saka’s composure, quality on the ball and his decision-making can unlock even the most compact of teams, leading to Roy Keane calling Saka ‘fantastic’.
Only Doku, Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo have the most ‘shot-creating actions’ per 90 minutes than Saka in the Premier League this season, according to FBREF.
And with an almost equal amount of goals and assists, the London-born star can hurt teams in any way possible. It’s no wonder that Arsenal are looking to offer Saka a new contract.