"My club" - Bukayo Saka makes social media post after captaining Arsenal for the first time in 2-2 draw against Chelsea

Arsenal star Bukayo Saka has expressed his delight at having captained the club in their 2-2 draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, October 21. The English forward finished the game as captain as the Gunners came from behind to steal a draw away from home.

Fresh from beating champions Manchester City just before the international break, Arsenal were up against a struggling Chelsea side in a London derby. Mikel Arteta's side were aware that a win would take them to the summit of the standings, but Chelsea proved a tough nut to crack.

With the Gunners two goals down, record signing Declan Rice pulled one back from range in the 77th minute to set up a tense finale. Arteta responded by taking off captain Martin Odegaard for Kai Havertz immediately after the goal, and the armband went to Bukayo Saka.

Saka receiving the armband proved to be a masterstroke, as it gave him a boost. The 22-year-old provided a sublime assist for Belgian star Leandro Trossard to poke home an equaliser six minutes from time.

After the game, the Englishman took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his joy at captaining his boyhood club for the first time.

"An honour to wear the armband for the first time. My club! ©️❤️"

Bukayo Saka has scored four goals and provided three assists in eight appearances for Arsenal in the Premier League this season. The young winger has been one of the league's most consistent performers in recent seasons.

---

Bukayo Saka: Arsenal's gem of inestimable value

When he made his senior debut for Arsenal under Unai Emery in 2019, Bukayo Saka was not the most highly-rated youngster. He has, however, improved in leaps and bounds to become one of the best in his position.

Saka has gone from playing as a makeshift left-back and left wing-back under Emery to being the team's most consistent attacker. He contributed an impressive 14 goals and 11 assists in 48 games across competitions for the Gunners as they narrowly missed out on the league title last season.

A Hale End boy through and through, Saka graduated from the Arsenal academy and has gone on to make 190 senior appearances for the club. The forward has scored 43 times and provided 46 assists, with last season being his most prolific.

Bukayo Saka signed a huge contract extension in the summer to ward off potential suitors. He will remain at the club until at least 2027 and will be keen to taste more success at the club.