‘I’ll go on the pitch and throw him the ball and make sure he gets the next one’: Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta vows to keep Bukayo Saka on penalties despite Gunners star’s crucial miss in draw at West Ham
- Mikel Arteta supports Bukayo Saka by keeping him as Arsenal’s penalty taker
- Saka missed a crucial penalty kick that saw the Gunners drop points at West Ham
- The England star apologized and said he will do everything he can to make amends
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has decided who will be the Gunners’ penalty taker following Bukayo Saka’s crucial miss against West Ham last weekend.
Saka failed to convert from the spot with Arsenal drawing 2-1 against the Hammers, and it saw David Moye’s side look for an equalizer only to see the league leaders’ side drop two crucial points in the title race.
However, Arteta revealed that he will not absolve Saka of his penalty responsibilities during his pre-match press conference ahead of Arsenal’s clash with bottom-placed Southampton on Friday night.
The Arsenal boss was asked if Saka would remain the club’s first-choice penalty taker, Arteta said: ‘Yes! If not, I’ll go out on the field and throw him the ball and make sure he gets the next one.’
The Spaniard also discussed the disappointment the England star felt after missing the crucial penalty.
Mikel Arteta does not intend to change Arsenal’s penalty taker for the rest of the season
Bukayo Saka shows his disappointment that he missed from the spot in the 2-2 draw
“That’s how he is.” added Arteta.
“He likes responsibility, but he also puts a lot on his shoulders.
“Again, if he had any doubts about how much people love, respect and admire him in the club, he got a very overwhelming response from everyone in the building and the club.
“I think in the end it could turn into something really positive that could give him a big boost because everyone reacted to him in an incredible way because he deserves it, because of the way he is.”
Following last Sunday’s miss, Saka posted a message on Instagram to Gunners fans, promising to “do whatever it takes to make it right” as the club chases their first league title since 2004.
The 21-year-old has been one of the stars of the season, with 12 goals and 10 assists as the North Londoners look down on the rest of the league at the top of the table.
Saka could have beaten Arsenal 3-1 against the Hammers, but his miss led to two lost points in the title race
The England star was one of the stars of the season for the Gunners this season
The draw means Arsenal are four points ahead of Man City, but have played a game more than Pep and Guardiola’s men and the two sides will meet next week at the Etihad in what is close to a title fight.
If Arsenal don’t win the Premier League, Gunners legend David Seaman believes Saka’s miss will not soon be forgotten as a critical moment in the season.
The former England goalkeeper said on his podcast this week: “Bukayo Saka’s penalty kick is a decisive moment in the match. If we don’t win the league, it will be remembered as a crucial point.
It is not the first time that the Arsenal attacker has missed a decisive penalty. Saka was also one of the players to miss from the spot for England in their shootout defeat to Italy in the Euro 2020 final.