Despite Bukayo Saka’s penalty miss against West Ham United on Sunday, Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka is confident that the young player’s mental strength won’t be affected.
Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka has offered words of support for teammate Bukayo Saka after his penalty miss during Sunday’s match against West Ham United. Despite the miss, Xhaka is confident that Saka’s mental strength won’t be affected in future games.
Arsenal’s performance in the Premier League title race has been stuttering of late, with the team letting slip a two-goal lead for the second game in a row during the West Ham match. The 2-2 draw mirrored their previous game against Liverpool, allowing Manchester City to close the gap by four points.
Despite having a prime opportunity to secure three points via a second-half penalty, the Gunners were unable to capitalise. A shot from Martinelli hit Michail Antonio’s arm, resulting in a spot-kick, which Saka missed, firing the ball wide of Lukasz Fabianski’s goal.
Reflecting on the missed opportunity, Xhaka stated that Saka’s age and mental strength meant that the team was not concerned about his future performance. “He’s young, this is one more experience for his future. But he’s so strong mentally and will show a reaction Friday,” Xhaka said.
Xhaka went on to emphasise that the team should not blame any individual player for the result. “We don’t need to blame anybody — not Bukayo, not any player. Of course, he missed a penalty. It’s not on him. It happened to bigger players than him. This is part of the job, part of his career,” he added.
Xhaka’s unwavering support for Saka demonstrates the unity and resilience of the Arsenal team, despite their recent setbacks and will be looking to turn the tide when they welcome Southampton to the Emirates.