Mikel Arteta compares brilliant Arsenal star to Lionel Messi

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has drawn a striking comparison between one brilliant Gunners player and Argentine legend Lionel Messi

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta drew a striking comparison between Bukayo Saka and Argentine legend Lionel Messi after the young winger played a crucial role in securing a 2-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers in their Premier League opener at the Emirates Stadium.

Saka sealed the win with Arsenal’s second goal just as Wolves were mounting pressure in search of an equaliser. Following a quickly taken free-kick, Saka received the ball on the right wing, cut inside onto his favoured left foot, and unleashed a powerful shot that beat Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa at the near post. The goal was a trademark finish from the 22-year-old, showcasing his ability to deliver in key moments.

When asked whether teams should do more to stop Saka from cutting inside, Arteta likened his star player to Messi. “With good players, it’s like that,” Arteta said.

“You know with Messi, you know he’s going to come here and put the ball there because he does it all the time—that’s the quality of the players. Saka is unbelievable. There are not a lot of players like him on the planet, and he is still so young. He can get better. It is very rare to see a young player perform every week at the highest level.”

Arteta expressed his gratitude for Saka’s decisive goal, which came at a crucial time when Arsenal’s performance had started to dip after a strong start. The Gunners, aiming to challenge for the Premier League title after finishing second behind Manchester City in the last two seasons, showed their intent in the opening stages.

“Especially at the beginning of the match, in the first half, we were really good—really aggressive, really intense, with a lot of purpose to attack, very fast, and a lot of threat in the box,” Arteta told Arsenal’s website. “We generated a lot of chances—we probably should have scored two or three, and the game would have been a bit different.”

However, Arteta acknowledged that the second half saw some sloppiness from his side. “In the second half, there were moments where we became a bit sloppy and not controlled, especially with some giveaways, which against this team is particularly difficult. Then the game was a bit more open, and Bukayo had an unbelievable action again to make it 2-0. Then it was a different game.”

With Saka’s brilliance and a solid team performance, Arsenal have set a positive tone for the new season as they aim to go one better in their quest for Premier League glory.