Bukayo Saka is having quite the individual season. In the five league games since the World Cup he has scored three times and assisted once but few of his goals will have been as important as the one he smashed in against Manchester United on Sunday.
Having terrorised Luke Shaw in a way that not many have this season, Saka put his side ahead in the second half with a stunning long range strike from the right hand side, cutting in and firing the ball across David de Gea and into the far corner. Lisandro Martinez may have equalised just minutes later but the moment of Saka's goal cannot be taken away.
The England international went close to doing the same thing later in the half, clipping the outside of the same post he had nestled the ball inside of previously. Having been a star for Gareth Southgate in Qatar he has simply continued the electric form and no longer looks like the nice kid, he's truly one of the best in his position.
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Of the eight players with more than his seven goals this season none have as many assists as Saka (also seven) and nobody with seven or more assists has over three goals. He is performing at a world class level and has taken his game to another level, averaging 0.78 goals and assists per90. At 21, there is nobody younger than him with a better record than that.
Such was the brilliance of his goal against Erik ten Hag's men he drew an emotional response from Arteta after the game. In the midst of some jubilant post-match celebrations Saka was found by his manager who embraced him by holding his head in both hands.
He then went on to say 'I told you!' in an excited voice like a plan had worked. The pair then shared a warm embrace, taking in the moment.
Whether Arteta's message that he told Saka was to do with beating Manchester United, being top of the table, getting the better of Shaw or something even smaller like scoring in that sort of manner, we'll never know, but it's yet again another demonstration of the trust, bond and love running through the squad.
When asked about the Gunners star following the match, Arteta said: "I wouldn’t like to talk individually about players, but the courage and the personality that the players showed today. The initiative to make things happen when the game is at a stage of ‘I don’t know what’s going to happen’ they are not looking at each other saying he’s going to do it.
"[They say] 'I take responsibility I’m going to do it', and I absolutely loved that today."
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