Bukayo Saka must learn ‘to deal with expectations’ says Mikel Arteta

Mikel Arteta has warned Bukayo Saka that he must learn to deal with the increasing hype and excitement surrounding him and insisted the forward still has room for improvement.

Saka has been in sensational form for Arsenal this season, scoring 12 goals and providing 10 assists. He has been one of the consistently best performers for the best team in the country and enhanced his reputation with his displays for England during the recent international break, most emphatically in the 2-0 victory over Ukraine at Wembley when the 21-year-old scored one goal and set up the other.

Speaking before Arsenal’s game against Leeds on Saturday, Arteta was full of praise for Saka, describing him as humble and intelligent, and called on him to tap into those qualities in light of his contributions for club and country. Saka is third-favourite among most bookmakers to be named player of the season, behind Erling Haaland and teammate Martin Ødegaard.

“He’s going to have to deal with expectations of the media, with attention on the pitch,” said Arteta. “When you want to fulfil a role like the one he has at the moment, you need to be capable of doing that. So don’t read too much, don’t listen too much, just focus on what you have to do every day. That’s it.”

Arteta joked that he had a “stick ready” in case Saka gets carried away with himself but believes there is little chance of that. “The way he talks to people, how he behaves, how he treats people, that’s because he has been raised like that,” he said. The Spaniard is sure there is more to come from Saka should he be willing to listen and learn.

“He still has a lot of things to improve and a lot of things to maintain,” said Arteta, who on Friday was named the Premier League’s manager of