Arsenal fans and Mikel Arteta were treated to a masterclass from Bukayo Saka yesterday as England recorded a 6-2 win over Iran at the World Cup.
The Arsenal No.7 scored England’s second goal with a fantastic volley, before netting the fourth with a composed effort in the second half – it was his World Cup debut, and to mark it with two goals was simply incredible.
On the topic of his second strike against Iran, some footage has emerged which shows the influence Arteta had behind the goal.
Footage shows how Arteta helped Saka score for England
Well, the Spanish is a very intense coach out on the training pitches at London Colney, and his influence on Saka has been particularly strong.
An interesting video showed Arteta demonstrating how a forward should lift their shot high when shooting from a tight angle, just before the 21-year-old scored that exact type of goal in a 1-0 win over Leeds back in October.
Now, more footage has emerged which shows the 40-year-old explaining how an extra touch just before shooting can make all the difference, as he encourages Jeremy Lynch of the F2 Freestylers to fake a shot.
As you can see above, Saka took note of what Arteta has presumably been telling him in training at London Colney as well, as he executed a number of fake shots to deceive the opposition, before shooting when the gap opened up.
For club and country, the England international now has seven goals and six assists in all competitions, which is an excellent return at this stage of the season.
Saka could become an England great
At the age of just 21, Saka has already racked up 20 caps for England, playing a key role at both EURO 2020 and now at the World Cup in Qatar.
The Hale End Academy graduate has achieved so much in his career already, and with someone like Arteta coaching him on a daily basis, the sky really is the limit.
Barring any serious injuries or severe drops in form, Saka should be a regular for England in the attack, and if he continues to step up for his country, we see no reason why he can’t follow in the footsteps of icons such as Wayne Rooney, David Beckham and Steven Gerrard.
In truth, Saka has already scored more World Cup goals than Rooney managed, so it could be argued that he has already outdone some iconic names on the international scene as far as tournaments are concerned.
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