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Mikel Arteta confirms decision on Bukayo Saka taking future Arsenal penalties.
Mikel Arteta has stated that he will enter the field to ensure that Arsenal’s next penalty is taken by Bukayo Saka.
On Sunday, the 21-year-old missed a penalty against West Ham, and his team surrendered a 2-1 lead minutes later to depart the London Stadium with a point.
Saka has had a fantastic season in north London, recording 12 goals and ten assists in 31 Premier League appearances and is widely regarded as a contender for Premier League Player of the Year.
Even if Saka does not win the top trophy, he is a strong contender for Young Player of the Year, given the calibre of his achievements for Arsenal.
The winger has already missed the penalty spot in England’s shootout loss to Italy in the Euro 2020 final, but Saka’s mental toughness and capacity for perseverance have clearly shown themselves.
After Sunday’s miss, Saka expressed regret on social media, but his manager has faith in him to move on, reiterating everyone at Arsenal’s support for him and the fact that he will continue to take penalties for the team.
“He loves responsibility but he puts a lot on his shoulders as well”, Arteta said, ahead of Friday’s game against Southampton. “Again, if he had any doubt about how much people love him, respect him and admire him at the club I think he had a very overwhelming reaction from everyone in the building and the club.
“In the end I think it can be something very positive that can give him a big lift because everyone acted in an unbelievable way towards him because he deserves it because of the way he is.
On whether Saka will continue to take penalties, Arteta confirmed: “Yes. If not, I will go on the pitch and throw him the ball to make sure he takes the next one.”
Arsenal’s season-long momentum may have suffered losses to West Ham and Liverpool the previous week, but they still have a strong chance of winning the Premier League for the first time in 19 years. The fate of Arteta’s team is in their own hands if they win against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.