Arsenal star is now “one of the best Emirates-era signings”

Whereas the harm to Martin Odegaard actually took the shine off issues, it was an excellent weekend for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta.

The Gunners fully outplayed West Ham United, beating them 2-0 in what was the supervisor’s three hundredth recreation in cost, and with Liverpool dropping on Sunday, they now sit atop the Premier League desk.

Nonetheless, it wasn’t only a milestone match for the boss, as Bukayo Saka additionally made his 2 hundredth league look towards the Hammers, by which he produced his one hundredth league objective involvement.

The Hale Ender has been the face of Arsenal for some years now, and whereas he rightly acquired loads of plaudits at full-time, it was one other sturdy exhibiting from considered one of his teammates, somebody who has a declare to being probably the greatest signings of the Emirates period.

Saka’s 200 Premier League video games

Saka made his Arsenal debut below former supervisor Unai Emery in November 2018, approaching as an alternative in a recreation away to Ukrainian aspect Vorskla Poltava. He then made his full debut for the membership just a few months later at house towards Qarabağ.

Nonetheless, his first Premier League look got here on New Yr’s Day 2019, when he got here off the bench towards Fulham.

The Englishman would not characteristic once more within the competitors till the next season, when he began for the primary time and acquired 45 minutes of motion towards Aston Villa earlier than being taken off at half-time as a result of Ainsley Maitland-Niles being despatched off.

Impressively, the 24-year-old’s first league objective involvement got here the very subsequent recreation towards Manchester United, when he as soon as once more began off the left and supplied an help for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Three extra assists would come earlier than the Hale Ender lastly scored his first objective within the competitors in a recreation towards Wolverhampton Wanderers, a recreation that noticed Arteta play him on the fitting.

A return of 9 objective involvements in 32 video games marked an actual enchancment within the following marketing campaign, nevertheless it was within the 21/22 season that the talismanic winger actually started to indicate the remainder of the league what he might do.

The Ealing-born monster racked up a formidable tally of 11 objectives and 7 assists in 38 appearances, and chalked up his first brace in a 5-0 thumping of Norwich Metropolis at Carrow Street.

Unsurprisingly, the England worldwide has turn out to be an more and more vital objective menace because the seasons have handed. Regardless that he missed nearly 4 months of motion final yr, he nonetheless managed to supply 17 objective involvements in 25 league appearances.

Furthermore, it was final season, within the recreation towards West Ham on the London Stadium, by which he managed to supply 4 objective involvements in simply 74 minutes of motion; a objective and three assists.

In all, whereas there’s nonetheless a lot to come back from Saka, he has already established himself as one of many easiest within the Premier League over time.

Nonetheless, there was one other Arsenal star who shone towards the Hammers, and appears like he’s changing into one other Saka-esque star.

Arsenal’s new Saka-esque star

The excellent news for Arteta is that there are fairly just a few gamers on this squad who may very well be classed as his finest signing.

Nonetheless, on this occasion, the participant who deserves much more credit score than he at the moment will get, and is changing into one thing of a Saka-esque star, is Jurrien Timber.

The Dutch worldwide joined the membership from Ajax in the summertime of 2023 for a charge of round £38m, and regardless of lacking virtually all the 23/24 season via an ACL harm, he has been immense in purple and white.

He won’t bomb up and down the pitch in the identical explosive style as a Jeremie Frimpong, however the 24-year-old is a wall on the again, and to his credit score, has turn out to be extra of an attacking outlet during the last yr or so.

For instance, FBref now ranks him within the prime 9% of full-backs in Europe’s prime 5 leagues for via balls, the highest 10% for progressive passes and the highest 12% for goal-creating actions, all per 90.

On prime of that, the Utrecht-born star has already scored two objectives and supplied two assists in simply seven league appearances this season, with that second help resulting in Saka’s penalty.

Nonetheless, whereas his continuous enchancment going ahead is actually a bonus, what actually makes the Dutchman such an unbelievable participant – and why the membership view him “as probably the greatest on the earth,” per Graeme Bailey – is his defensive brilliance.

He’s an absolute rock at right-back and continually makes life nightmarishly tough for opposition wingers, which is simply what he did towards the Hammers.

In his 97 minutes of motion, he made one clearance, two interceptions and 6 tackles in addition to profitable eight of 12 floor duels. He was an immovable object from the primary minute to the final.

Now, it’s possible you’ll be questioning to your self: whereas that is all spectacular, what makes Timber a Saka-esque star for Arteta?

Properly, merely put, the supervisor can depend on him to place in constantly sturdy performances; he simply doesn’t let him down.

Finally, together with his attacking play bettering, his defensive skills being a number of the finest within the league, and his constant performances, it is exhausting to disagree with analyst Ben Mattinson when he describes Timber as being “probably the greatest Emirates-era signings.”