“Burdened with glorious purpose.”
It was a line from Loki that Ian Wright used to describe Bukayo Saka during the 2020 Euros when the 19-year-old had made his way into the England line-up and started to showcase his talents to the world beyond Arsenal.
The youngster hadn’t been a certainty of making Gareth Southgate’s squad and was expected to spend the majority of the tournament on the bench.
Soon enough, however, the talents of the young winger could not be ignored, and Saka was selected to start the semi-final.
Since then, Southgate has selected Saka in every single England squad. The Arsenal man has gone on to star at the World Cup and currently holds the England Men’s Player of the Year, after winning it for the second consecutive year.
Thus, the theme of Saka’s career so far. A talent so special, nested inside a young man so rugged, so unrelenting, so motivated.
Saka had broken through at Arsenal under Unai Emery, at the start of the 2019/20 season.
A night in Frankfurt had seen the recently turned 18-year-old mark the occasion with his first goal for Arsenal, alongside two assists.
Arsenal’s brand new £72m winger Nicolas Pepe sat on the bench that night, little did he know his replacement was already on the pitch.
Just two months later, Emery was sacked and replaced by former Arsenal captain Mikel Arteta.
The Spaniard had rejoined the Gunners following an incredibly successful three-year stint as assistant manager to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
Arteta had attempted to take the Arsenal job before Emery, but the decision from the Arsenal board was taken to opt for experience. That sentiment had been scrapped following Emery’s sacking and Arteta again jumped at the chance to return to his former club and attempt to revive a club lacking a heartbeat.
Importantly, with respect to Saka, Arteta came from Manchester City with a big commendation from two of the league’s best wingers.
Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane both spoke of Arteta’s work in developing their talents and both had the best seasons of their Manchester City careers during the time Arteta spent at the club.
Arsenal fans understandably were excited by the prospect of Arteta working with and perhaps ‘unlocking’ Pepe, but it was Saka who has undoubtedly benefitted the most.
In the Spaniard’s first game as Arsenal head coach, Saka was deployed as a left-back. It wouldn’t take long for left-back to become right-wing and the Englishman has not left the team since.
Saka, still just 22, is about to end the fifth full season of his footballing career and has made 224 appearances for Arsenal in that time. Just 17 of those have come under managers other than Arteta.
As Arteta’s revolution has gripped Arsenal, Saka has been omnipresent. He has become emblematic in the revival of Arsenal football club.
A lot of pressure for a young man. At least it should be. Arsenal are deep into a title challenge this season, and Saka still appears to be playing football as he was when he first broke into the team.
The North London derby is always a significant occasion but with Tottenham keen to end their arch-rival’s title chances with their home fans in attendance, last weekend’s felt massive.
The boos for Saka, and his teammates, were instantly loud and intimidating. Saka, understandably, has become an unpopular figure in this part of North London.
Before Sunday, Saka had won four of his eight games against Spurs, collecting two goals and two assists in those games. Although they are not collected by the stat counters, Saka had also forced two own-goals, including one at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last season.
Saka, following a penalty miss in the Euro 2020 final, has always been subject to aggressive chanting from fans across the country and Sunday was no different. As he lined up to take a corner early in the game, a camera in the home end captured numerous fans attempting to put off the winger. The cross was driven in and was perfect. It left Pierre-Emile Hojberg with no choice but to get his head on it and divert it into his own net.
As his teammates flooded toward Saka in celebration, the Englishman had a response for the home fans who had now gone quiet. He turned and faced them, before putting his finger to his ear. His face said it all, fit with a big grin.
‘What was that?’
That wasn’t the last of the embarrassment the home fans in that corner would have at the hands of Saka. Just over ten minutes later, the winger was sent through by Kai Havertz. As he drove towards the retreating Ben Davies, it seemed everyone in the stadium but the Welsh defender knew what was coming. Shifting onto his stronger left foot, Saka calmly placed the ball into the far corner and beyond the sprawling Guglielmo Vicario.
Instinctively, Saka’s hands were again drawn to his ears. He cupped both and ran towards the same Spurs fans. A sea of hands, some thrown up in the air in frustration, others risen to demonstrate expletives.
Saka has never been one to goad rival fans, some of that comes naturally when you are as good as he is, but this was different. There was a sheer confidence about it, a metaphorical ‘I’m better than you and there’s nothing you can do about it’. For those twenty minutes, Saka had become an embodiment of one of his idols, Thierry Henry.
Much as Henry was seen as an emblem of Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal era, perhaps Saka is that of Arteta’s.
The famous Arsenal number 14 won two Premier League trophies with Arsenal and Saka may well win his first this season.
Either way, the trophies are coming one way or the other for Arteta’s team and Saka will be at the forefront.
In Saka, Arsenal fans have one of their own on the pitch and as they continue this journey, that is a pleasure not to be taken for granted.