Mikel Arteta Highlights Bukayo Saka’s Importance for Arsenal

By the Editorial Team · Monday, August 31, 2026

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta highlighted Bukayo Saka’s fitness and sharp start to the season as crucial for Arsenal’s Premier League ambitions, noting Saka’s drive to improve after a previous injury-affected year. Arteta also celebrated the team’s depth and resilience despite injury setbacks, while approaching his 250th Premier League match where a win could put him near a historic record for victories.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has emphasized the key role Bukayo Saka could play in the club’s Premier League campaign this season, highlighting the England international’s fitness and sharp form as vital assets. Saka, who took only one full week’s rest during the summer off-season, has begun the season strongly, scoring in the opening match against Coventry.

Arteta expressed confidence that Saka is motivated to surpass his previous season’s output, which was affected by an Achilles injury despite Arsenal’s success in securing the league title. Speaking ahead of the team’s fixture against Aston Villa, Arteta noted that Saka’s ambition to improve aligns with the club’s broader expectations. “We had an excellent season as a team but he knows that he can do much more than what he did last year in a lot of aspects,” Arteta said. “And that’s the players that we want; that they are not satisfied, that they want much more. And Bukayo certainly looks to have a real edge this season.”

Saka was absent from the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) awards held recently in Manchester, where several Arsenal players—David Raya, Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Declan Rice—were named in the Team of the Year. Arteta acknowledged the significance of having multiple representatives, calling it “a really proud moment” that reflected the strength of Arsenal’s squad last season.

He also pointed out the team’s resilience, noting that some of their most influential attacking players were sidelined for extended periods, yet they still managed to achieve significant success. "We had some of our best attacking players out for five and six months and we still managed to accomplish what we did, which is a huge credit to the rest of the boys," Arteta added.

The manager is also approaching a personal milestone, set to oversee his 250th Premier League match during the upcoming game in the Midlands. Arteta currently holds a win percentage of 58.4, surpassing notable former Arsenal managers Arsene Wenger, Rafael Benitez, and Mauricio Pochettino. A victory against Aston Villa would bring him within one win of matching Sir Alex Ferguson’s record of 152 wins in his first 250 top-flight games. Only Jose Mourinho, Jurgen Klopp, and Pep Guardiola have maintained higher win percentages than Arteta and Ferguson at this stage of their managerial careers.

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