Chelsea Hero Impressed With Work Ethic Of Arsenal Young Gun Saka

Published: January 22, 2020

Former Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole has revealed that he was impressed with the work ethic of Arsenal starlets Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli during Tuesday night's Premier League game at Stamford Bridge.

Playing as a left fullback for the seventh time this season, Saka made incisive runs down the left channel apart from his defensive duties.

Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil and record acquisition Nicolas Pépé have been accused of not pulling their weight during games and Cole wants the duo to borrow a page from the two 18-year-olds.

Speaking as a pundit on BT Sport after the game, Cole said : "It needs a performance like this where you can look at the team, they go above and beyond what they are capable of.

"I still don't think Arsenal are capable of getting in the Champions League, I think that's gone.

"I think they have got to be building for the future. Down this left side with Saka and Martinelli, you put them on the pedestal, this is the work ethic that is needed for the new Arsenal. And the rest of the team should go with them."

No player made more tackles than Saka in the game between the two great London rivals, with the Hale End Academy product finishing with five successful tackles, and he won a game-high three fouls, according to statistics from OPTA.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

Photo Credit : arsenal.com