Arsenal Unveils a ‘Crossing Machine’ Following Victory Against Palace
Emerging from a lackluster pre-season period, Arsenal has kicked off the new season on a promising note. With a hard-fought 3 points secured during their visit to Crystal Palace’s stadium, Arsenal maintains a flawless record. Despite encountering challenges, especially after Takehiro Tomiyasu’s red card in the latter part of the game, Arsenal managed to preserve their overall victory with a penalty kick goal from Martin Odegaard.
However, with a bit more luck, Arsenal could have sealed the deal in the first half itself, as Bukayo Saka and the attacking stars consistently created turbulent situations for Palace’s defense. Without a doubt, Saka stood out as one of Arsenal’s most remarkable performers in this match, consistently causing trouble for Palace’s backline with effective breakthroughs.
Statistics from Squawka demonstrate Saka’s influence, as the English forward engaged in 9 successful crosses into Palace’s box, accompanied by 9 entries into the penalty area and 11 touches inside it. Moreover, Saka impressed by initiating 8 ball recoveries and drawing 4 fouls from the opposition. Notably, no player from either team matched Saka across all 5 of these highlighted metrics.
In addition, the 21-year-old forward contributed 2 key passes, attempted 3 shots, executed 2 accurate dribbles, and emerged victorious in 7 out of 9 duals contested against Palace.
Saka’s impressive performance earned him a Sofascore rating of 7.8, second only to Thomas Partey (7.9).
It’s clear that Saka’s prowess as a “crossing machine” played a pivotal role in Arsenal’s victory against Crystal Palace. As the season unfolds, fans eagerly anticipate more stellar displays from Saka and the entire Arsenal squad.
