Thierry Henry believes Bukayo Saka is now relishing the chance to become a “killer threat” for Arsenal.
Saka scored the all-important equaliser for the Gunners as they came from behind to beat West Ham 3-1 on Boxing Day. It was a victory which saw Mikel Arteta’s side move seven points clear in the race for their first Premier League title since 2004.
And if Arsenal are to harbour hopes of topping the pile come May, much will lie on the shoulders of Saka. His goal against the Hammers was his sixth in all competitions, having also scored three times during the World Cup.
As well as being adored on the pitch, Saka’s attitude has won admirers ever since he burst onto the scene as a teenager. However, he did recently face some criticism from former Arsenal defender Mikael Silvestre, who accused him of being a little bit too nice.
"Maybe Bukayo Saka is a bit too nice. He needs to be a bit more aggressive,” SIlvestre said earlier this month. "He is extremely nice so he needs more aggressiveness in his game. He has improved in that sense and it can be very tricky sometimes.
"He has done really well for Arsenal and he is still a very young player. If he can get a bit more streetwise, I think he is there.”
But speaking after the win over West Ham, Henry thinks he has seen a change of attitude from Saka which will only bode well for Arsenal’s title chances.
“This is something I want to point out, he used the word disappointment, he understands how important it is to win battles, how important it is for him to turn into a killer threat and a player that is not nice,” Henry explained.
“That standard can't be nice. When you pass that line it has to be you or the guy. It better be you and he understands that now.”
Saka suggested that his new, more forceful style on the pitch is a direct result of encouragement from his manager. “I think it’s come a lot from Mikel, he’s helped me out a lot, he’s told me how important it is to win the duels and of course when I’m active off the ball, it helps me, I’m alert.
“To win that first duel with Declan Rice, it sets up the chance and if I don’t do that maybe we concede a chance and we defend our box so each game I’m realising how important it is.”
He added: “We all know how important today was and we’re all focused on the same objective. With the home fans today, it was special to come back here and we delivered for them.”
Arteta’s charges now face a potentially season-defining pair of fixtures against Brighton and Newcastle with Henry believing his old side are more than capable of sustaining their challenge.
“Yes they are here to stay, we are here to stay,” he stated. “We have a team, all Arsenal fans were waiting for was a team to complete - not one, two or three players. A squad. You win a title with a squad, this is what [Eddie] Nketiah showed tonight that he can be the answer for the time being or when Jesus comes back, but that’s what he did.”
