Mikel Arteta has confirmed he wanted to rest Bukayo Saka after the winger was replaced at half-time in Arsenal’s convincing 3-0 win over Fulham. The Gunners moved six points clear at the top of the Premier League table, with Manchester City not playing until Monday. Saka had missed five games following the March international break due to an Achilles issue. He returned to the bench against Newcastle United and Atletico Madrid, and started his first match since the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City, delivering an electrifying first-half performance.
No fresh injury concern
With Arsenal cruising at the break, Arteta substituted Saka for Noni Madueke. Speaking after the game, the Arsenal boss stressed there was no new injury worry, calling the move a precaution to 'protect' his number 7. 'He certainly made a difference, he made two actions that decided the game,' Arteta said in his post-match press conference. 'He’s come back in the most important part of the season. He is fresh, his hunger is fresh. I think he needed a performance like that. We have to protect him. We need to ramp up his load but we need to be careful.'
Saka's impact on the match
Saka created Arsenal’s opening goal after nine minutes, leaving Raul Jimenez on the ground before crossing for Viktor Gyokeres to score. Five minutes before the break, Gyokeres returned the favor, finding Saka who beat Bernd Leno with a precise finish. With the game secured, Arteta also substituted Gyokeres for Gabriel Jesus after 62 minutes, and later replaced Declan Rice and Eberechi Eze, with focus shifting to the second leg against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.
