Bukayo Saka and Xavier Amaechi made another good case for first-team chances on Monday, as both scored in a 5-1 win over Manchester City’s u23s.

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 31: Xavier Amaechi of Arsenal in action during the Premier League 2 match between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur at Emirates Stadium on August 31, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 31: Xavier Amaechi of Arsenal in action during the Premier League 2 match between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur at Emirates Stadium on August 31, 2018, in London, England. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)

The Arsenal u23s benefitted from the return of a number of their more senior players, including Eddie Nketiah, Joe Willock and Konstantinos Mavropanos, as they secured their first win in a while. However, it was wingers Bukayo Saka and Xavier Amaechi who stole the show.

Saka only took four minutes to open the scoring, shifting the ball past a defender onto his weaker right foot and finishing well. Just a few minutes later, Amaechi won Arsenal a penalty, which Robbie Burton converted.

Though they were 3-0 down at the break, City threatened to mount a comeback, scoring just one minute into the second half. However, Saka put the game to bed with another goal four minutes later, before Amaechi scored one of his own to make it 5-1.

The only other Arsenal goal was scored by Willock, who also had an excellent game, setting up both of Saka’s goals.

https://twitter.com/ArsenalAcademy/status/1085116600200642561

It’s the two young wingers who are getting people talking though. In two matches this year, the pair have scored a combined four goals, provided two assists and won one penalty.

Amaechi only turned 18 earlier this month, and Saka won’t reach adulthood until September, so you wouldn’t usually expect them to be too involved in the senior setup just yet. However, the first team currently don’t have anything like them.

There are no pacey wingers with a good final ball in Unai Emery’s entire squad. Alex Iwobi is as close as it gets, but his strengths lie more with building attacks than finishing them off. That’s why Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has played out wide so often, and wing-back Sead Kolasinac has had to take up so much of the attacking impetus.

bukayo saka2
LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 13: Bukayo Saka of Arsenal in action during the UEFA Europa League Group E match between Arsenal and Qarabag FK at Emirates Stadium on December 13, 2018, in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

Saka has scored seven goals and provided eight assists in 19 academy appearances this season, managing one goal contribution every 83 minutes. Meanwhile, Amaechi has three goals and four assists in seven appearances, a goal contribution every 76 minutes, albeit from a much smaller sample size thanks to his injury.

They’re clearly already proving too good for the youth teams, and the first team could use their talents. Perhaps it’s time to give them both more chances.