Bukayo Saka answers Arteta: goal in six minutes vs Lille

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta urged Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) to start scoring “two or three goals per game” before the club’s meeting with Lille, and the winger listened fast: he netted six minutes after coming on.

Arteta said the challenge was also laced with humour. Asked if his comments had been motivation, he replied that he was happy if that was the case and added that, in his press conference before Tuesday’s game, he joked about “killing him”.

Saka’s strike against Lille came in the 71st minute and took him to four goals across all competitions this season. He also scored two more while on international duty with England, and Arteta noted his tally could be higher after Saka missed clear one-on-one chances versus Napoli and Leeds.

After the Leeds win, Arteta backed him to keep attacking the box: “If he misses the chance, so be it. In the end, the more volume we generate, the bigger the probability of him scoring more goal.”