Pundit Peter Schmeichel has called out Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka for having a quiet outing during his side’s UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg clash against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). The Gunners lost 1-0 against the Parisians in a fierce encounter at the Emirates on Tuesday, April 29.
Ousmane Dembele’s fourth-minute strike sealed a vital win for Luis Enrique’s side, who now have one foot in the final in Munich. Arsenal gave a spirited performance on the night, but failed to level the score. Gabriel Martinelli forced Gianluigi Donnarumma to pull off a superb save in first-half stoppage time. Mikel Merino’s second-half header goal was ruled due to offside by VAR.
Meanwhile, Thomas Partey missed the clash due to an accumulated card suspension. While speaking on CBS Sports’ post-match coverage, Schmeichel opined that a good number of Arsenal’s big players were poor on the night. When it was suggested that the Gunners’ performance against PSG was due to the absence of Partey he said (via Football London):
Schmeichel singled out Saka, stating that the 23-year-old was a shadow of himself and looked tired against the Ligue 1 champions. He said:
Arsenal will look to overturn the result and book a ticket to the final when the return leg takes place next Wednesday (May 7) at the Parc des Princes.
Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka had a quiet game by his lofty standards during his side’s 1-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). Saka played the entire minutes of the clash but didn’t have much impact in the final third.
He managed just one shot on target, created only one chance, and had only one touch in the opposition’s box. The England international completed four of his seven dribble attempts, but was dispossessed of the ball three times.
Saka recently returned from a hamstring injury, which kept him sidelined for months. He has netted twice in eight appearances since his return. This includes his goal in his side’s 2-1 win over Real Madrid in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final at the Santiago Bernabeu.
A Chelsea fan, Okenna had his first tryst with Blues in 2006, after fellow countryman John Mikel Obi joined the west London club. He was immediately drawn to the brilliance of players like Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, John Terry and Didier Drogba.
Okenna is a huge fan of Lionel Messi for his exceptional talent. He also admires Jose Mourinho for his achievements with various clubs which proves he’s a tactical and disciplined manger as well as a serial winner.
Some of Okenna’s prospective career landmarks include working as an international journalist and covering a FIFA World Cup game live from the stadium. When not writing, he loves watching, movies and reading books.
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