Bukayo Saka played a pivotal role in steering Arsenal to a commanding victory in the Champions League on Wednesday evening, but he couldn’t hide his disappointment after narrowly missing out on his first hat trick with the club he loves, due to an unexpected intervention from a teammate.
The England international had already found the back of the net twice against Monaco at the Emirates Stadium when he fired off a shot in the 88th minute that might have been heading for goal. However, the effort diverted off Kai Havertz’s shin, fortuitously rolling into the net and sealing a comfortable 3-0 triumph for Arsenal.
“He got in the way of it,” Saka chuckled while reflecting on the incident. “But don’t worry, a hat trick is definitely coming. It’s on the horizon!”
Despite the missed personal milestone, Saka was instrumental in Arsenal’s performance, contributing three goals overall. His manager, Mikel Arteta, praised the 23-year-old’s impact, suggesting he is well on his way to establishing himself at a world-class level.
“To achieve that consistently for many years, you need to work hard and dedicate yourself,” Arteta said. “When you consider what he’s accomplished in his first six years as a professional, it’s remarkable. His goal now is to keep improving. He’s in the right environment, surrounded by players who will help him grow, and I have no doubt he will continue to excel.”
In the midst of defensive injury woes, 18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly was handed his Champions League debut, taking up the left-back position, where he has seen playing time as a substitute in the Premier League this season.
Lewis-Skelly, who has drawn inspiration from Saka, expressed admiration for the young winger, who also emerged from Arsenal’s youth ranks.
“Bukayo has the right mindset and everything else that comes with it,” he said. “I’ve gained a wealth of knowledge from him, and my desire is to keep improving.”
With this victory, Arsenal ascended to third place in the competitive 36-team table.
Arteta reflected on the match, saying, “We should’ve sealed the game in the first half, but we failed to do so. The Champions League can throw tough challenges your way, and we experienced some of that tonight. However, once we scored the second goal, we regained control of the game.”
Looking ahead, Arsenal’s next two Champions League fixtures are against Dinamo Zagreb at home and an away matchup with Girona.
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