How Saka reacted to Arteta telling him he’d ‘killed’ him

Mikel Arteta jokingly told Bukayo Saka he’d ‘killed’ him prior to Tuesday’s game against Lille, but the winger reacted in the best possible way.

Following Arsenal’s win over Lille on Tuesday, Mikel Arteta revealed that Bukayo Saka hadn’t had the ideal build-up to the game.

For a start, the Gunners boss shared that Saka had been unwell before the match, saying: “He wasn’t feeling too good yesterday and today because he had a sort of illness; he wasn’t ready to start, but he was really keen to contribute to the team if it was needed.”

On top of that, Arteta admitted that he’d heaped pressure on the player in his pre-match press conference, in which he’d suggested Saka should be targeting two or three goals per game.

“After the press conference, I went and he was on the massage table, and I said: ‘Bukayo, I just killed you in the press conference, good luck tomorrow!’ and he was laughing, he knows me,” Arteta recalled.

“He knows we have these kinds of things and he takes it because he wants to be the best version of himself.

“In order to do that, you have to set big objectives and challenges and try to raise them, by working, being consistent, and he has the ability to do it.”

After laughing off the manager’s admission of the extra pressure on him, Saka went on to provide a goal and an assist in Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Lille, despite only playing 25 minutes on the match.

It was the perfect response to a less-than-ideal preparation for the match, and if Saka continues to respond to the pressure with goals and assists than that will be good news for the team this month.

• UEFA push Arsene Wenger to run for FIFA president
  Senior UEFA figures are trying to convince former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger to run for FIFA president, according to a report.
• Arteta suggests Arsenal 28yo ‘still not there’ despite improvement
  Mikel Arteta insisted Bruno Guimaraes is still not the finished article following Saturday’s win over Hull City, adding that he’s told the midfielder as much.
• Brentford star forward banned for Arsenal match
  Igor Thiago is set to miss Brentford’s match against Arsenal later this month, after picking up a red card in their game against Brighton on Sunday.
• Arteta praises Madueke as stats show 24yo is shining creatively
  Mikel Arteta has praised Noni Madueke’s determination to improve and his recent performances, whilst adding that the winger can still be even better.
• Hull City boss calls Arsenal ‘the best right now’
  Hull City boss Sergej Jakirovic believes Arsenal are the best in the Premier League right now, and up there with the very best in Europe.