Why Arsenal must protect Bukayo Saka at all costs
The Athletic FC Podcast
The Athletic
4.0 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 28 February 2023
⏱️ 49 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Does Bukayo Saka need better protection from Premier League referees? Do Arsenal themselves rely too heavily on the 21-year-old, and, with the world at his feet, how seismic a moment is it in Arteta's 'process' that he has decided to commit his future to his boyhood club? Host Mark Chapman is joined by The Athletic's Adam Crafton and Arsenal correspondent Amy Lawrence to discuss...
How do you stop 'rotational fouling', where does he rank in terms of most-fouled PL players, do top players even want a rest and how central is he to Arsenal's renaissance? Plus, will he end up being a one-club man and why the comparisons with David 'Rocky' Rocastle are so poignant.
Produced by Adonis Pratsides
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The Athletic. |
| 0:04.2 | While Bacayosaka has the world at his feet, a 21-year-old whose star continues to rise in tandem with that of his boyhood club, |
| 0:12.7 | already a fully-fledged England international and a local star draped in the Arsenal number seven, |
| 0:19.3 | evoking memories of David Roecastle before him. |
| 0:22.5 | If Arsenal are to end a 19-year wait for a Premier League title this year and return to |
| 0:28.4 | Europe's top table, the message is clear, protect Bukai Osaka at all costs. I'm Mark Chapman. |
| 0:33.9 | Welcome to the Athletic Football Podcast. |
| 0:39.1 | He's fine, obviously. |
| 0:42.7 | He got kicked quite a lot again, but he's going to have to deal with that. |
| 0:44.9 | Not every week, but every three days. |
| 0:47.4 | I'm sometimes in train as well because it's his game. Saka tries one. |
| 0:50.3 | Fabulous from Bokaiosaka. |
| 0:54.0 | Here he goes. |
| 0:56.0 | And he scores! |
| 0:58.0 | Bukai Osaka says Ennis in the wrong way, confident cool and Arsenal level. |
| 1:03.0 | Look at the top players in the world, they play 70 matches every three days and make the difference and win the game. |
| 1:09.0 | If you want to be at the top, you have to be able to do that. And if we start to put something different in the mind of our young players, |
| 1:14.6 | I think we are making a huge mistake. |
| 1:18.6 | It's great because it's from the academy and is Arsenal through and through. |
| 1:23.6 | But people do not realize the pressure of being the one that's going to make it |
| 1:29.3 | but what the fans really want to know is can you spell nauseous |
| 1:35.3 | n-a-u-s-e-u-s-e-o-us |
... |
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