Arsenal news: Bukayo Saka has ‘target’ on his back after ‘giving the game away’ to opposition – pundit
Bukayo Saka has “made himself a target” at Arsenal and upcoming opponents will target him with physical challenges, according to Danny Mills.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Man City and England full-back claimed Saka has “given the game away” after he revealed he wanted more protection from referees.
The 20-year-old was on the wrong end of some strong challenges during Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Aston Villa last weekend (19 March).
He revealed to BT Sport after the game he had asked referee Andrew Madley for more protection as he was being kicked.
As quoted by Sky Sports on Monday (21 March), Steven Gerrard claimed Saka needed to “toughen up” as football was a contact sport.
“I agree with Gerrard, without a shadow of a doubt,” Mills told Football Insider correspondent Connor Whitley.
“What Bukayo Saka has done now is made himself a target, as much as anything else.
“I’m not advocating booting him off the park because if you do that you’re going to get red and yellow cards and nobody wants to see a player injured.
“But on the flip side, if you’re not quite as good as Saka then how do you stop him? If you can give away niggly fouls and be physical within the rules of the game and he doesn’t like it, then you get in his head and you know he doesn’t like it.
“For me, it’s almost like he’s given the game away a little bit. He’s said ‘This is what I don’t like’. If you’re the opposition, you’re going to do exactly like that.”
In other news, Arsenal can expect an FA charge after controversial Alexandre Lacazette footage is analysed.