Regarding Saka's finishing efficiency this season, The Telegraph published an article stating that Arteta is transforming Saka into a penalty-box finisher, with all four of Saka's non-penalty goals this season coming from close-range finishes.

Saka has been part of Arsenal's first team for eight years, and the "Star Boy", a product of the club's academy, has undergone multiple positional transformations during this period. He initially played as a left-back, then gradually evolved into a left winger, before becoming one of Europe's best right wingers.

At 25 years old, Saka appears to be entering a new phase of evolution. Early signs this season indicate that the England international is more aggressive in his positioning, pursuing goals with greater determination than ever before.

So far this season, Saka has played 11 matches across club and country, scoring 5 goals. The sample size is still small, of course, but this goal rate is the highest of his career.

However, what may be more significant than the statistics is how he is scoring his goals. Saka's four non-penalty goals are all close-range finishes: he cuts in from the right flank, penetrates the six-yard box, and scores. Last season, only one of his 11 Arsenal goals was scored in this manner.

Is Saka transforming into a true penalty-box poacher? It's too early to say with certainty, but one thing is undeniable: his positioning has changed this season, bringing him closer to goal. This shift is evident not only when the ball comes from the right; when Arsenal attacks through the centre, he also makes deep runs into the box.

The most telling example is his winning goal against Aston Villa in late August. Arsenal launched the attack from the left, and Saka, with great physical presence and determination, surged into the six-yard box, where Villa's left-back could not contain him. In previous seasons, Saka would likely have lingered at the far post waiting for an opportunity, but this time he drove directly into the box.

Arsenal manager Arteta commented: "He's constantly getting into brilliant positions now, he's finishing things, one-touch finishes, close-range goals. That's exactly what we want from him."

In Saturday's match against Leeds United, Saka's individual performance was less than ideal. His ball-carrying was not at its best, but he still came close to scoring twice from central positions: once from a low cross from the left, and again in stoppage time after cutting past Leeds' defence.

This also reflects Saka's improved ability to find dangerous areas: earlier in the season, he could easily have scored more than 5 goals. His movement and timing have genuinely improved, though his finishing quality hasn't quite caught up, as he squandered several good chances against Brighton and Napoli.

Arteta is not concerned about these missed chances. According to the Arsenal manager, the key is that Saka can constantly create plenty of shooting opportunities. "It doesn't matter if he misses chances," Arteta said. "In the end, the more chances he creates overall, the higher his probability of scoring becomes. He's playing very well; in fact, he could easily have scored four or five more goals by now."

Arteta has guided Saka to shift his mentality, transforming him into a genuine goal-scorer. Saka's most prolific season to date was 2023-24, when he scored 20 goals for Arsenal across all competitions. Arteta clearly hopes he will surpass that record this season.

Arteta stated: "When setting a goal-scoring target, he shouldn't just look at the total for the season, but rather think about how many goals he should aim for per match. Once his mentality changes, he can consistently put himself in these positions and score more goals."

"I think the target should be two or three goals per match, that's it—that's the right mentality. If the thinking becomes: 'My target is 20 goals, we're only in October, I have eight more months to score 17 more', that mentality won't work; it won't help him reach his goal."

This shift in mentality and positioning will inevitably affect other aspects of Saka's game. If he concentrates his energy on finishing in the box, his contribution to initiating attacks from the flanks will naturally diminish. This has indeed been the case, as his averages for crosses and dribbles per Premier League match have notably decreased this season.

If this is the price Saka must pay to increase his goal tally, both he and Arteta are willing to accept that trade-off. Saka is already one of the best players in his position in the world, and there is only one factor that can elevate him to the highest level of football: goals. Will this be his next transformation? Arteta answered: "Yes, absolutely, he can definitely do it."

Traduit par IA.

Le site web d'AF est désormais en ligne ! Actualités complètes, commentaires, détails des matchs et statistiques sur votre ordinateur. Visitez : www.allfootballapp.com