Arsenal summer addition Oleksandr Zinchenko has called for more protection from referees for Bukayo Saka, comparing him to Lionel Messi in the process, following his side’s 4-2 win over Aston Villa on Saturday.
The Gunners fell behind twice but came through 4-2 winners to move back to the top of the Premier League, and end a run of four games without a win, thanks to a late strike from Jorginho.
It was Saka who levelled the scores in the first half, however, after his side had fallen behind early on, grabbing his ninth goal of the season with a sumptuous volley.
Bukayo Saka take a bow 😮💨
An emphatic strike from Saka puts Arsenal back on level terms! pic.twitter.com/nhhrhbBvQ5
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) February 18, 2023
And, after the victory, teammate Zinchenko was quick to shower him in praise, before comparing him to some of the best stars in the world.
“Bukayo is an unbelievable player, all the full backs from the other teams they know he’s so dangerous, so they try to provoke him, tackle him and the referees should know this,” said Zinchenko.
“We can speak about [Lionel] Messi, Cristiano [Ronaldo], Neymar and players like this. The referees need to protect this kind of player.
Bukayo Saka has 17 goals and assists in the PL this season. He’s currently on track for 28. For reference Sadio Mane’s best is 25. Gareth Bale 25. Leroy Sane 25. Ryan Giggs 21.
Insane output for a player who is so much more than just G/A pic.twitter.com/AQz5vce7U9
— Aaron Catterson-Reid (@ReidTheGame) February 19, 2023
Mikel Arteta revealed that despite the kicking by Alex Moreno at Villa Park, Saka was fine and fully fit after going down several times in the clash.
“He’s fine,” said Arteta. “He got kicked quite a lot today again. But he’s going to have to deal with that, not every week, but every three days and sometimes in training as well because it’s his game and teams are not stupid and they want to stop him. That’s why we need to protect him.”
The Gunners will be hoping that the win over Aston Villa will see them turn a corner, with Leicester City next up at the Emirates Stadium as they look to continue their reign atop the Premier League table.
