Mikael Silvestre has insisted Bukayo Saka's form is vital if Arsenal wish to continue their title hopes this season.
The Gunners will begin the Premier League restart next weekend top of the pile and five points clear of last season's champions Manchester City too. Having both played 14 times thus far, the two sides are set to go head-to-head on February 15.
Saka, who enjoyed a strong World Cup spell with England - despite the sides' exit at the quarter-final stage - will hope to build on his time away, as Mikel Arteta's men are set to play twice before 2023 arrives.
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Silvestre, however, believes Saka must now use his performances in the Middle East as a springboard, with the Gunners hoping this season can earmark vital success at the Emirates Stadium.
“I want to see Saka keep his performance level from the World Cup,'' he recently told BettingExpert. ''He became a top performer and was finding solutions and the back of the net. Saka continuing at that level would keep Arsenal in the race.”
The 21-year-old scored three times for Gareth Southgate's side, with two of those strikes coming in the Three Lions' opening 6-2 victory over Iran. He now has seven goals in 24 caps for his country, after making his debut back in 2020.
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