Martin Keown hails Arsenal superstar as the best player in Europe after stunning performance in 6-0 Lens thrashing 

Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown has lavished praise on Bukayo Saka after the winger's performance against RC Lens in the UEFA Champions League this week. The pundit insists that the England international is one of the best players in European football at the moment.

The Gunners ran amok at the Emirates yesterday (November 29) as they put six goals past RC Lens. Five of these goals came in the first half, with Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, and Martin Odegaard all getting on the scoresheet.

Jorginho then scored a penalty in the 86th minute of the second half, ending a calamitous night for RC Lens. Saka also grabbed an assist in the encounter and put on an overall stellar performance.

Keown spoke very highly of his former club and the young English winger after the match. The retired defender, who was a part of the iconic 'Invincibles' squad during his time at Arsenal, said on TNT Sports (as quoted by the Daily Mail):

"Tonight, we see the quality of what our Premier League teams are capable of, they blew Lens away. Of course, we lost the first game against them and they’ve bounced back. They’ve laid down a marker of how really good this Arsenal team is tonight."

He added on Saka:

"This is their first season for a lot of these young players. Looking at Saka we’re talking about the assists and the goals he scores - the best in Europe right now."

Saka has recorded seven goals and ten assists in 19 appearances across all competitions for Arsenal this season.

"Now the job is done" - Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta reacts to Lens victory

Arsenal's dominant win over Lens will see them qualify for the Round of 16 with a game to spare in the group stages. The Gunners sit atop their respective group table with a four-point lead over second-placed PSV Eindhoven, guaranteeing them a spot in the knockout rounds.

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta was quizzed about qualifying and the upcoming Christmas fixtures in the Premier League in a post-match press conference. The Spanish manager told reporters (per the club's official website):

"I don’t know, let’s see how we get to that game, now the job is done with what we wanted to achieve, every time we play a football match, we want to win it and we prepare it in the best possible way but it gives us some room certainly, in relation to the squad to use some players more or less."

Meanwhile, Arteta's men have also found a lot of success so far in the English top tier. The Gunners are first in the Premier League table with a one-point lead over Manchester City. Arsenal have lost just one league match this term, a 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United.