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Pundit heaps praise on Saka after superb display vs Everton

By Ritayan Chatterjee on March 2, 2023

Former striker turned pundit Jay Bothroyed believes Arsenal star Bukayo Saka would have been in the contention for Ballon d’Or award had he been playing for Real Madrid or Barcelona.

The 21-year-old has been enjoying a stellar campaign this term, scoring 10 goals and notching up nine assists in 25 Premier League appearances, playing a key role in the Gunners’ title charge.

The north London club are currently sitting at the top of the table with 60 points from 25 games, five points ahead of the second-placed Manchester City.

Saka was excellent once again last night in Arsenal’s thumping 4-0 victory over Everton. He scored an emphatic opener before setting up the second just before the interval.

After being impressed by the England international’s display last night, Bothroyed didn’t hold back and heaped praise on the Hale End graduate.

Excellent Saka

Speaking on Sky Sports, the pundit claims that Saka is currently one of the best wingers in the world and he doesn’t get enough credit for what he deserves. Bothroyed thinks the winger would have been in the mix to win the Ballon d’Or had he been playing for Real Madrid or Barcelona.

The pundit further states that despite being at this very tender age, the 21-year-old has managed to establish himself as a talismanic figure at Arsenal this term and he showed his class against Sean Dyche’s side.

Bothroyed said:

“Saka is one of the best wingers in the world. Let’s get it right. He doesn’t get enough praise. If he was playing for Real Madrid or Barcelona, he would be up for Ballon d’Or awards. He has been fantastic this year. He’s such a young player as well but he’s Arsenal’s talisman and he’s made a big, big difference today.”

After a slow start to this term, Saka – valued at around £89m by Transfermarkt – has continuously been getting better as the season progresses and is now deemed one of the best wingers in the division. The Euro 2020 misery has seemingly helped Saka in getting matured quickly and he has now been showcasing his qualities at the highest level.

If he continues to play like this and showcase consistency going forward then he would definitely come into contention to win the Ballon d’Or in the coming years.