It was a season of near-miss for the Arsenal players in the Premier League, as some of them now prepare to put things right at Euro 2024.
Copa America will also take centre stage this summer, alongside the Euros, and it provides the chance for players to return to club football with a spring in their step and a possible trophy in their hand.
Several Arsenal players, in particular, at the European Championships, have the chance to do that, with England and France two of the favourites to win the competition.
Whilst France kicked off their campaign with a 1-0 win over Austria on Monday, England and Gareth Southgate did the same against Serbia on Sunday.
Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice started for their country, with the Arsenal academy product assisting Jude Bellingham for the only goal of the game.
It was a steady and just average performance by the Three Lions, with Richard Keys unimpressed by what he saw.
Many felt that Saka was one of very few players who could hold his head up high, but not for Richard Keys.
The beIN SPORTS presenter was critical of Saka’s performance and even suggested that he didn’t mean to cross the ball into the path of Bellingham for his goal, as he wrote in his blog.
Keys labelled talk that Bellingham was Saka’s target as ‘nonsense’ and how ‘I can’t think of much else that Saka did’ during the game.
But the Arsenal man wasn’t the only one under fire, with Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold, who played in midfield, also receiving verbal pelters for his performance.
Bukayo Saka’s assist for Jude Bellingham’s goal
“I’d have liked to have seen England put on the sort of performance Germany did,” said Keys. “I know the Scots were poor, but they still needed beating. And Germany tore into them.
“England did enough. No more. And they got lucky with the goal. Bellingham’s finish was brilliant. It was a great header, but there’s no way the cross was meant for him. Saka was playing that to the first post for Kane. The deflection lifted into Bellingham’s path. I’ve read some reports suggesting Bellingham was Saka’s target. Nonsense. Of course he wasn’t.
“I can’t think of much else that England could take from the game. TAA was poor. Because TAA played and Rice had to look after him, he was restricted – just as he is at Arsenal if he doesn’t have a 6 alongside him. Kane was anonymous. So was Foden and the deflected cross aside – I can’t think of much else that Saka did.”
Bukayo Saka at Euro 2024 for England
Was Saka’s performance out of this world? No. But neither was it poor. It was just a strong performance from the player and a flavour of what is to come at Euro 2024.
This is tournament football. You want your performances to grow, both as a team and as an individual.
READ MORE: TalkSPORT pundit Alan Pardew names the Arsenal player who is being misused at UEFA Euro 2024
Saka can be trusted to get the job done for England and he is rightfully starting on the right-hand side, including keeping someone like Chelsea’s Cole Palmer out of the XI.
After beating Serbia, it’s a clash against Denmark on Thursday for Southgate and his players, with the same XI expected to start again.
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