Beijing time (CEST), 4 September – Carragher published an article in his Telegraph column, discussing his views on Saka.

Carragher's full column:

Saka is at a crossroads in his career, and we will soon know whether he is destined to be a good Arsenal player or whether he can elevate himself to become a great player in the Premier League, Champions League, and for England.

This weekend Saka will turn 25, an age that is typically the peak of a footballer's career. While his status as part of Arsenal's title-winning squad is unquestionable, the reaction to Arsenal's summer transfer window showed a widespread belief that he could and should do more to reach the level of a "world-class" player.

Arteta has been missing a striker of that calibre. Throughout the summer, he searched for players of the stature of Vinícius and Álvarez to inject the starpower Arsenal so desperately needed into the team's attack.

Having failed to recruit a top striker, many believe Arsenal's title defence will be like their impressive 1-0 away victory against Aston Villa – impressive but somewhat cautious.

A year ago, my assessment that Arsenal's title hopes would be built on the back of goalkeeper David Ramsdale and centre-backs Saliba and Gabriel proved correct. However, my prediction has proven incorrect regarding their overall trajectory this season.

In the 2024-25 PFA Team of the Year announced two weeks ago, not a single striker featured among the five Arsenal players selected. For a Premier League champion, the absence of an attacking player is rare, highlighting that Arsenal are known for their defensive solidity and fighting spirit rather than dazzling attacks.

This Sunday, they face Chelsea, which is the complete opposite of how the two teams were perceived during the Wenger versus Mourinho era; today, Arsenal are viewed as pragmatic versus entertaining.

While Chelsea have improved, Arsenal are still expected to retain their title, and to win it with more aggressive style, their most talented players need to play a greater role.

Arteta has players like Ødegaard and Saka under his command who possess such ability. Arteta will have specifically told both these players that they have greater potential, and all signs suggest they are gradually fulfilling it.

In their first two league wins, Arsenal showed the potential to break free from the constraints of their current players. With his goal-winning strike at Villa Park, Saka scored in two consecutive league matches for the first time since November 2023 – a fact that surprised him when mentioned after the match.

Changing the perception of Saka's ability entirely depends on statistics. Henry has challenged him to contribute 15 goals and 15 assists this season, which speaks volumes. As Saka's mentor, Henry would never openly issue such a challenge unless he was confident Saka could reach such a target.

From this perspective, in the 38-game Premier League era, only three players have scored 15 goals and provided 15 assists in the same season: Henry, Hazard, and Salah, who contributed 29 goals and 18 assists when he helped Liverpool win the title in the 2023-24 season.

Saka's most productive season at Arsenal was from 2022 to 2024, when he scored 26 league goals and provided 28 assists. Last season, his goals and assists dropped to 14, and his output declined in the season before that as well.

This shows that Saka's career has stagnated in recent years, with early injuries being a contributing factor. Two years ago, it was unthinkable for Saka to be on the bench in England's World Cup semi-final when he was in peak form.

Tuchel's decision to start Morgan Rogers against Argentina was justified given Rogers' performance, but it was undoubtedly painful and should serve as motivation for the team to prevent such situations in future international competitions.

Since then, Saka has scored 5 goals for club and country – including a hat-trick in the third-place playoff against France – averaging one goal every 56 minutes. If he can maintain this form, he is on track for his most prolific year yet.

Criticising the lack of a superstar in and around Arsenal's penalty area is arguably underestimating Saka, as he has made substantial contributions to the club. His goal against Villa was his 100th for club and country.

By any measure, this is a significant achievement for a player who should be at his peak. Some players are underrated because of their familiarity; if he were not an undisputed starter on Arsenal's right wing, it would be a huge loss for the team.

When we assess whether a player has reached world-class level, we often tend to judge them on their current level rather than future potential, and truly reaching elite status is always a gradual process.

Even some of the greatest players in history were not world-class when they first joined their clubs. Consider the Arsenal team recognised during Henry's era; as his career progressed, he was recognised as one of the greatest players. This was undeniable when he left, not when he first arrived. Many Premier League superstars at Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, and Liverpool had similar experiences.

De Bruyne and Salah developed into superstars at their respective clubs, though they initially struggled at Chelsea. De Bruyne was 24 when he joined Manchester City, and Salah was 25 when he moved to Anfield.

Since Saka was named PFA Young Player of the Year in 2023, he has been expected to develop into one of the most formidable forwards in the world. It is not uncommon for young players to experience a plateau after an initial breakthrough period.

Saka has at least six more years to achieve his ambitious personal goals, and if these are fulfilled, it will completely change people's perception of this Arsenal team.

Saka has every reason to strive to establish himself as, rather than Palmer, the most exciting English attacking talent of his generation.

Last season proved that, contrary to previous champions, Arsenal do not need a superstar striker to end their long wait for a title, with Gyökeres scoring 14 goals to become the team's top scorer in the league.

To reach the next level and beat strong teams like Paris Saint-Germain in a Champions League final, Arteta needs more contribution in the final third, and he knows this well.

Despite significant investment in defence and midfield this summer, the defending champions' squad still feels incomplete. The emergence of Saka, perhaps, could offer Arsenal fans at least one solution.

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

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