Arsenal legend Thierry Henry texted Bukayosaka on the morning of the Gunners’ clash with West Ham before the young winger could rival the impressive milestone set by his hero. Saka followed in Henry’s footsteps and became the second Arsenal player to score in his 200th appearance. England International secured a net from the penalty spot after Julian Timber was fouled, securing three points on the North London side after Declan Rice initially advanced West Ham.
Their victory drove Arsenal towards the top of the table before Liverpool’s match against Chelsea. Henry has been struggling this season and wanted to focus Saka ahead of his match against the Irons, who replaced Graham Potter with Nuno Espirito Santo. The former French International gave Saka a gentle reminder about Arsenal’s recent disappointing performance against the Hammer.
Mikel Arteta’s team lost two previous home matches with London rivals without scoring a goal, but this time they were able to secure a more positive outcome.
When asked about comparable to Henry’s milestone, Saka spoke about the continuing impact the club icon has. “This morning, Thierry sent me a message to remind me that I lost my last two games to West Ham at home,” Saka said. “He’s always pushing me. I’m really happy to have my name on his record.”
The 24-year-old is pleased with the progress of this campaign for Arsenal, as he aims to improve to win his first league title since 2004. Saka commented:
“We know the quality at the top of the pitch. We know that holding a clean sheet or not is likely to win the game.”
Arsenal manager Arteta praised his team’s star man after the victory. “It was an incredible journey together,” the Spaniard said.
“The way he did it is special. He is loved by everyone, and the numbers he creates are incredible at his age – there’s so much more to come from him.”
“We got some today to go to the top of the table after some big fixtures and some injuries last week, but we dominated this and deserved to win completely.
“The players who came have helped maintain the standards. We look forward to an international break.”
