Fans were not happy with Arsenal star Bukayo Saka’s performance during their 1-0 FA Cup fourth-round loss against Manchester City at the Etihad. Nathan Ake scored the only goal of the game in the 64th minute of the match. The Dutch defender curled home a right-footed effort past Matt Turner.
Ake, however, did one more thing tremendously apart from scoring the goal for his team. He managed to nullify Saka throughout the game.
The Englishman has been in spectacular form for the Gunners so far this campaign. He has scored eight goals and has provided seven assists in 27 games so far this season. Saka, however, went missing against the Cityzens during the FA Cup fourth-round clash.
Saka was on the field for 74 minutes. He, however, failed to take a single shot on target and couldn’t complete a single successful dribble during the game. The 21-year-old also lost possession nine times during the match.
Fans on Twitter were disappointed with how easily Pep Guardiola’s side managed to nullify Saka. One fan opined that he should never be compared to Manchester United ace Marcus Rashford.
Here are some of the best reactions from Twitter regarding Bukayo Saka’s performance as Manchester City proceeded to the next round of the FA Cup at the expense of Arsenal:
Bukayo Saka remains an important player for Arsenal despite disappointing performance against Manchester City
While Bukayo Saka’s performance against Manchester City wasn’t at the stratospheric level that the youngster had set for himself, he remains an important player for the Gunners for the remainder of the season.
Mikel Arteta’s side will next make the trip to Merseyside as they take on Everton in a Premier League clash on February 4. The Gunners are currently atop the Premier League table, with 50 points from 19 games and lead second-placed Manchester City by five points with a game in hand.
Saka recently had a masterclass performance against Manchester United. Martin Keown lauded the youngster for his displays during the season and compared him to two English stars, Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden. Keown wrote for the Daily Mail:
“Saka now has the world at his feet. His work ethic is infectious – so is his smile. He has the trickery of Phil Foden and the pace of Marcus Rashford all in one. It is a unique skill set and he is as tough as teak to go with it.”