"So integral to this Arsenal team", "World class" - Fans hail Arsenal star's performance in their 2-2 draw with Liverpool

Arsenal fans on social media lavished praise on Bukayo Saka after the Gunners drew 2-2 against Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday (October 27). With the draw, Arsenal are back in the top three of the Premier League table with 18 points from nine games. Liverpool, meanwhile, remain second in the standings with 22 points.

Bukayo Saka had missed Arsenal's last three matches because of a leg injury he picked up during the recent international break. However, the winger looked sharp in his comeback game, scoring in the ninth minute for the Gunners.

Ben White played an aerial through ball to Saka, who managed to cut inside and evade Andrew Robertson. The English winger's left-footed shot sailed past Caoimhin Kelleher's outstretched arm and into the roof of the net to make it 1-0 for the Gunners.

Saka's performance earned him an impressive rating of 7.5 on Sofascore in his comeback game. The Arsenal star also showed his physicality, winning five out of seven attempted ground duels and two aerial duels. He was replaced in the 85th minute by Gabriel Jesus.

(The above stats are taken from Sofascore and are subject to change as per the website's prerogative.)

Fans on X raved about Saka, highlighting his importance in Mikel Arteta's side. Some popular reactions are as follows:

"Saka is so integral to this Arsenal team! If he doesn’t play you already know what happens," wrote a fan on X.

"That was half fit Bukayo Saka btw. World class," noted another.

"At least people saw a Saka masterclass," opined another fan on X.

One fan noted that the goal against Liverpool was Saka's 50th Premier League strike. The Englishman achieved this feat in 178 games.

"50 Premier League goals for Bukayo Saka. They keep hating, we keep winning," declared the user.

"Buzzing to have Saka back. We’re a different animal with him in the team. These injuries are worrying. Shame about some of those decisions," another Gunners faithful chimed in.

"One of the best games I've watched Saka play for a very long time. Shame we bottled the game man," wrote another fan on X.

Arsenal's second goal was scored by Mikel Merino (43') with the help of Declan Rice's assist. Meanwhile, Liverpool's goals came from Virgil van Dijk (18') and Mohamed Salah (81').

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Bukayo Saka talks about his experience of captaining boyhood club Arsenal

Arsenal FC v Sevilla FC: Group B - UEFA Champions League 2023/24 - Source: Getty

Bukayo Saka opened up about captaining his childhood club Arsenal in a recent interview. The English winger has had the chance to put on the captain's armband a few times in the absence of club captain Martin Odegaard. He first joined the club's academy in 2008 and is now taking on leadership roles under the tutelage of Mikel Arteta.

Saka captained the Gunners in the thrilling 2-2 draw against Manchester City on September 22 at the Etihad. He also led the team in the UEFA Champions League when they won 2-0 against Paris Saint-Germain on October 1 at the Emirates Stadium.

In an October 2024 interview with CBS Sport, the winger explained his experience of being the captain, saying:

"That's one of the things where I become speechless when people ask me. Everyone knows my journey, where I came from. To take the captain's armband, walk the lads out at the Emirates Stadium. I can't put it into words."

The Englishman also expressed how it feels to see fans wearing his number seven shirt on the streets.

"When the new kits come out you see it across all of London. I'm always looking out to see if someone has my number on. It's always a nice feeling when you see a little kid or an older man wearing one of my shirts," he added.

Saka concluded by saying that he doesn't take the fans' love for granted and will always try to show his love for them on the pitch.