BBC pundit says Arsenal star is now ‘one of the best players in the country’

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Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka has made it into Garth Crooks’ latest Premier League Team of the Week.

The BBC Sport pundit has described the Gunners star as “one of the best players in the country”.

Arsenal were away at West Ham United at the weekend. Considering the Gunners had lost twice to the Hammers this season, it was a difficult fixture to call.

However, Arsenal ended up triumphing 6-0 at the London Stadium in one of the most one-sided games you’ll see this season.

The Gunners boasted 71 percent of possession and weighed in with 25 shots against the Hammers, of which 12 were on target.

Saka scored twice in the match – including a penalty – to take his tally for the season to 13 goals and 13 assists from 31 Arsenal outings in all competitions.

Bukayo Saka now Arsenal’s most consistent goalscorer

Crooks loved what he saw from the Gunners star boy, writing on BBC Sport: “He’s come a long way since he missed his penalty in the Euro 2020 final shootout.

“However, the way the England international put his spot-kick past Alphonse Areola in the West Ham goal to put Arsenal 2-0 up seemed to suggest Saka hasn’t lost a wink of sleep about taking penalties since that fateful evening.

“I said then that the experience would make a player out of him and it has. He’s not only become one of the best players in the country, he’s Arsenal’s most consistent goalscorer.

“Meanwhile, as emphatic as their win was against the Hammers, Arsenal cannot win the title without a top-class natural finisher at centre-forward and they don’t have one.”

Bukayo Saka shines as Arsenal put six at West Ham

Saka got his first from the penalty spot in the 41st minute after being brought down by Alphonse Areola in the box.

The England international, who missed from the spot against West Ham last season, stepped up and converted for his 50th Arsenal goal.

Saka’s strike put the Gunners 2-0 up after William Saliba had headed home the opener on 32 minutes.

Arsenal then struck twice more – through Gabriel Magalhaes and Leandro Trossard – before Saka then got his second on 63 minutes.

The Hale End graduate collected Martin Odegaard’s pass inside the area before firing into the neat post to make it 5-0.

Declan Rice then added the cherry on top in the 65th minute, a superb long-range effort against the club he captained to European glory last term.