Arsenal fans will be furious with Thomas Tuchel after what he said about Bukayo Saka
Mikel Arteta has openly put his trust in Bukayo Saka as a leading figure among the Arsenal squad over the last few seasons.
Saka picked up an early injury this season, but even so, the 24-year-old already has three goals in seven club appearances, with the Gunners currently sitting atop the Premier League table.
He featured for 70 minutes as England beat Wales 3-0 in an international friendly, scoring the Three Lions’ third at Wembley Stadium on Thursday, 9 October, after just 20 minutes.
Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins got Thomas Tuchel‘s side off to the greatest of starts before facing Latvia in their World Cup qualifier on Tuesday, 14 October, but the head coach was left wanting more.
Thomas Tuchel expects more from Bukayo Saka
Tuchel hit out at England fans for being outsung by the travelling supporters at Wembley, especially during the final 30 minutes, as his team played out the rest of the game.
It was a very standard performance from the Three Lions after a blockbuster first 20 minutes during the friendly because, after that, there was very little to cheer about for the home fans.
And Tuchel clearly didn’t hold back in his post-match press conference, aiming clear messages at the players he expects more from on the international stage, and that includes Saka.
Having been told that his sensational effort was his 13th goal for his country, Tuchel replied: “It has to be more – it’s not enough, so he needs to keep on going. I thought it was 30 at least.
“And I would have said, ‘Well, it’s still not enough,’ because I am never satisfied. He is such a threat for Arsenal in the most difficult league in the world, so why would he not be at the international level?”
Saka leads the way on the international stage for Arsenal players
Saka is always one of the brightest players on the pitch, whether that be at club or international level, so it seems utterly unfair to make this slight dig at his goalscoring record for the Three Lions.
The young winger now has the most England goals of any player to play for the Gunners, bypassing Cliff Bastin, who fired home 12 goals between 1931 and 1938. That’s history-defining.
Clearly, all fans from all sides of the country come together and want the best for Saka when he is fighting for the Three Lions, and if Tuchel is suggesting that he is not yet good enough, they will have something else to say.
The head coach appears not to mince his words after games, and yet again, he could land himself in hot water, this time with upset Arsenal fans.