Mikel Arteta had set Bukayo Saka an ambitious target before Arsenal's Champions League encounter with Lille. The manager wanted his winger to begin converting at a rate of "two or three goals per game". Saka's response was emphatic. Within six minutes of arriving from the bench, he had found the net, and he had already provided an assist with his opening touch.
When asked whether his own words had served as a spur to the 25-year-old, Arteta responded positively.
If that's the case, I'm very happy and I welcome it,he said with a smile. He then disclosed that he had joked with Saka about
killing himduring his pre-match press conference ahead of Tuesday's fixture.
The Arsenal manager was conscious that he had set a target bordering on the unrealistic, yet Saka's impactful substitute appearance demonstrated a willingness to pursue it nonetheless.
According to Yahoo Sports, Arteta confirmed that Saka had been unwell before the Lille match and was unavailable to start, though he was eager to make a contribution. His 71st-minute strike, which came from Kai Havertz's cut-back, extended his tally to four goals across all competitions this season. He has added another two while on international duty with England.
The underlying statistics paint a picture of a player whose goal-scoring opportunities have multiplied substantially. In the Premier League this season, Saka is averaging nearly twice as many open-play expected goals per 90 minutes—0.50—compared to any previous campaign during his time at Arsenal.
Arteta elaborated on this trend after the Leeds victory.
If he misses the chance, so be it. In the end, the more volume we generate, the bigger the probability of him scoring more goals. He is doing well and he could have had another four or five goals by now, easily.
The manager added that Saka
has been getting in great positions, getting shots, getting one-touch finishes and tap-ins.His goal against Lille was his third this season to originate from either inside or just outside the six-yard box, reflecting a deliberate tactical shift to position him in more lethal areas of the pitch.
Saka's trajectory has been aided by a change in mentality regarding his scoring ambitions. Arteta framed the 20-goal target not as a countdown but as a shift in mindset: in October, Saka should not be preoccupied with the notion that he had eight months remaining to score 17 additional goals. Instead, the focus has been on immediate execution and consistency.
Several factors have converged to enable this evolution. Saka has remained free from injury, a significant advantage after two seasons disrupted by fitness concerns. He is also benefitting from the presence of key personnel around him. His partnership with Martin Odegaard has resumed, and he is regularly interchanging positions with Havertz.
Arteta has emphasised the tactical importance of these positional switches.
That is the kind of unpredictability we have with that player, otherwise we know how the opponent is going to defend him.By spending more time between the width of the posts, Saka becomes a more difficult proposition to contain.
The consequence of these adjustments is striking. In the Premier League this season, only two players—out-and-out strikers Thierno Barry and Erling Haaland—have generated more expected goals than Saka.
Yet his output extends beyond goal-scoring. Saka is actually creating fewer chances than in previous years, but he ranks in the top three for shots on target and penalty-box touches. He has also registered the most fast breaks of any Premier League player this term.
Among sections of the fanbase, there persists a belief that Saka is struggling to recapture his peak form following the injury setbacks that interrupted the previous two campaigns. His display against Leeds appeared some distance below his standard before his explosive contribution against Lille.
However, the statistical evidence offers little reason for concern. According to The Athletic, Gradient Sports—an analytics firm that grades players based on execution quality rather than raw outcomes—ranks Saka as the Premier League's outstanding performer this season. His overall grade of 88.5 surpasses Joao Pedro, Elliot Anderson, Lewis Hall and Rayan Cherki.
His Arsenal teammates Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard occupy positions just outside the top five, with grades of 87.3 and 84.9 respectively.
Saka's exceptional grade reflects the calibre of his decision-making and his capacity to execute under pressure. His style may lack the flamboyance of certain rival wingers. He rarely overcomplicates matters on the ball. Instead, his actions are defined by their efficiency.
The contrast with his predecessor is instructive. Against Lille, Saka required only a single touch to fashion an assist. Noni Madueke, the player he replaced, attempted 14 unsuccessful crosses before finally creating the opening goal, despite repeatedly finding himself in promising positions.
Saka also possesses a completeness that few can replicate, continuing to influence proceedings across multiple facets of play. Rob Berwald of Gradient Sports explained to Sky Sports that
the reason he's graded so highly is that he's executing well across so many different categories.
The data demonstrates that Saka has scored comfortably above the average for Premier League wingers this season in passing, shooting, crossing, ball carrying, duels and even one-versus-one defending. Beyond these metrics, Saka consistently provides defensive support to his full-back.
Tackle resistance represents another area of excellence. His capacity to retain possession when under pressure proves invaluable whether operating in central zones or on the right flank when confronting defenders directly.
His emergence as a penalty-box goal-scorer represents the culmination of a gradual evolution under Arteta's stewardship. The manager previously stated that he required time to
figure him outback in 2021, initially repositioning him from left-back to left wing before he eventually flourished as a right winger.
Saka's European pedigree adds further weight to his current trajectory. According to The Athletic, he has scored 19 goals in European competitions for Arsenal, a tally surpassed only by Thierry Henry's 42.
Now he is becoming something different again. Still a right winger, certainly. But one with a narrower focus and a recalibrated objective. The business of scoring goals has become his primary pursuit. Arsenal's ambition is that this channelling of his considerable talent into the art of finishing will continue to yield dividends.
What comes next
Arsenal are scheduled to face Nottingham Forest away in the Premier League on 18 October 2026, offering Saka another opportunity to add to his tally and demonstrate the sustainability of his current form.
