What Aston Villa fans hilariously chanted to Bukayo Saka in late win vs Arsenal
Aston Villa fans poked fun at Bukayo Saka in the first-half as beat Arsenal 2-1 on home turf on Saturday afternoon.
Bukayo Saka has been one of Arsenal‘s top performers over the last few years, and he is now regarded as one of the best attackers in the Premier League and across world football.
He has not been able to win silverware with Arsenal since his breakthrough into their first-team, but that could all change this season as they hunt a first Premier League title since 2004.
Saka has struggled with injuries this season and built a reputation for missing games through certain problems, which Aston Villa fans eyed as a way to get under his skin when they faced off on Saturday (6 December).
Villa fans sing about Saka potentially feigning injury after poor first-half showing
Saka was not at his best in the first-half at Villa Park, with his struggles summed up as he was the man caught offside before crossing for Eberechi Eze to score after 22 minutes.
The England winger missed a big chance, committed a foul and only completed one successful dribble before the break.
Villa fans spotted that Saka was not playing to his best and booed him every time he touched the ball, while also chanting: “He’s gonna limp in a minute!”
Saka was not injured, with the chant being a nod to a long-standing social media trend that has gone viral over the last few years which accuses him of limping when his team, or he, is not playing well.
He hit back at such claims in a recent interview, saying: “It’s part of it. I have blood on my hand, my nose is bleeding, my shorts are all blood, then after they say that I’m limping.
“It’s a compliment. As a creative player, a winger that wants to dribble, you’re going to get kicked. It’s up to you. You have a choice. Do you get on with it or do you go down? I always make the choice to continue.”
Arsenal’s injury concerns could derail their title challenge
Arsenal have struggled with injuries this season and, despite his poor first-half showing, they will hope that Saka stays fit for the rest of the campaign as a result.
Declan Rice suffered a calf problem against Brentford in midweek but was fit to face Villa as he avoided joining the likes of William Saliba, Gabriel and Leandro Trossard in the treatment room.
Arteta had to start a centre-back pairing of Piero Hincapie and Jurrien Timber on Saturday afternoon, and neither looked too assured of themselves during the late 2-1 loss.
Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Jesus are both back fit and seemingly ready to play, but whether they will be able to score enough across the campaign to keep the Gunners ahead of Man City remains to be seen.