There was no one prouder than Mikel Arteta when Bukayo Saka banished the demons of his penalty miss in the final of the European Championship three years ago by burying his spot-kick against Switzerland at Euro 2024. “I was very nervous,” the Arsenal manager said of the moment Saka stepped up in England’s quarter-final penalty shootout victory. “It plays back in your mind from a few years ago and that moment but he showed a lot of guts and determination and composure to take it the way he did.”
But after the disappointment for England of losing another final it was intriguing to hear Arteta mention the potential psychological impact on Saka and Arsenal’s other England regular, Declan Rice. “I’m extremely proud of my country, and it was a great moment for us to win,” the Spaniard said. “This generation had to really earn it in the last few years to get that belief. At the same time, I was sad because you love your players and you want the best for them, and it was a tough moment for them.”
