Dan Burn reacts to Bukayo Saka display in Arsenal draw with Newcastle
Dan Burn praised Bukayo Saka on Sky Sports (broadcast on 3/1; 21:51) after Newcastle United’s draw with Arsenal, claiming that the Magpies had to double up on the forward at the Emirates.
The Magpies showed their top-four credentials on Tuesday as they travelled to the Premier League leaders. And they became the first team to deny Arsenal a win at home. Meanwhile, they also became the first side to keep a clean sheet against Mikel Arteta’s men in the league this season.
Burn was superb in the stalemate. He was everywhere when Newcastle had set-pieces to defend – though he was fortunate to not give away a penalty. And it is fair to say that his display was mirrored by a number of his teammates, with Newcastle defending brilliantly.
Burn praises Saka after Newcastle draw with Arsenal
The game did not start that way for Burn however. Arsenal had a lot of joy down their right wing in the early stages, with Saka causing the 30-year-old several issues.
And following the game, Burn suggested that Newcastle needed to come up with a plan to try and contain Saka to ensure that they left with a share of the points.
“Saka is a great player. He can go both ways. The wingers helped us a lot and doubled up on him. We sort of got the hang of him as the game went on,” he told Sky Sports.
Teams are going to have to come with specific plans for Saka more and more often from now on. The 21-year-old is one of the best players in the Premier League. And, worryingly for Arsenal’s rivals, he is only going to get better.
The problem for Arsenal’s opponents is that he is not alone. Focusing on Saka opens channels for Martin Odegaard or Gabriel Martinelli. And they can be just as devastating.
Things did not work out for Arsenal on Tuesday. But Newcastle’s ability to frustrate the league leaders was the anomaly for this season so far.
