Arteta: 'I just killed you in the press conference' to Saka
Mikel Arteta had a message for Bukayo Saka just a day before kickoff against Lille, delivered with a smile in the Arsenal treatment room. The Gunners boss told Saka he had set the bar high for him in a press conference, only for the winger to respond in emphatic fashion less than 24 hours later.
Speaking on Monday at the Sobha Realty Training Centre, Arteta was asked whether the 20 goal mark Saka reached during the 2023-24 campaign was a target he should aim to match again this season. His answer set the tone for what was to come.
The Friday Injury Tracker
Who's out, who's back and what it means for the next two games.
"No, I think the numbers should go to score two or three per game. That's it. That's the mindset," Arteta said. "And then if you score one, so be it, you score two, so be it, because he has the ability to score in many ways."
He added: "But normally, if you go to all the attackers, and that's the way, I think you have to attack something. Because if you go '20, OK, now we are in October, I still have eight months to score 17 more goals.' That's not the mindset, that's not going to take you there."
A knowing wink in the treatment room
According to football.london, Arteta headed straight from that press conference into the training centre, where he found Saka getting treatment on the massage table. The manager could not resist letting him know what had just been said.
"After the press conference, I went and he was in the massage table and I said, 'Bukayo, I just killed you in the press conference. Good luck tomorrow,'" Arteta explained. "He was laughing. He knows me. He takes it because he wants to be the best version of himself."
Saka did not start the Champions League trip to face Lille due to illness, but he made an instant impact off the bench. He set up Eberechi Eze before getting on the scoresheet himself as Arsenal cruised to a 3-0 win.
Not a message to the manager
Asked whether Saka's cameo was a pointed response to his own comments, Arteta played it down. "I don't know if that's the case. I'm very happy and welcome," he said. "He wasn't feeling that good yesterday and today because he had a sort of illness. He wasn't ready to start, but he really was keen to contribute to the team. If it was needed, he came on. He made a huge impact and he delivered with real quality."
The performance arrived days after Saka faced scrutiny following Arsenal's 2-1 win over Leeds, where his output was questioned. Against Lille, albeit limited opposition at this stage of the Champions League, he looked sharp and decisive from the moment he stepped onto the pitch.
Arteta's approach, challenging his players directly while keeping the relationship light hearted, appears to be part of what continues to get the best out of Saka as he enters another season as one of Arsenal's most important attacking players.
