Ex-Chelsea midfielder Burley hits out at Saka’s ‘poor’ performance against Leverkusen

Former Chelsea FC midfielder Craig Burley has criticised Arsenal FC winger Bukayo Saka following his subdued performance in the 1–1 draw against Bayer Leverkusen in the UEFA Champions League.

Saka started the match in Arsenal’s attacking line alongside Gabriel Martinelli and Viktor Gyökeres but struggled to influence proceedings before being substituted in the second half.

The England international was replaced in the 61st minute by summer signing Noni Madueke, whose introduction injected urgency into Arsenal’s attack.

Madueke immediately posed problems for Leverkusen’s defence with his pace, direct running and dribbling ability.

His impact proved decisive as he won a penalty for the Gunners late in the match, which was calmly converted by Kai Havertz to cancel out the earlier opener from Robert Andrich early in the second half.

Speaking on ESPN, Burley voiced his disappointment with the performance of the Hale End academy graduate against Bayer Leverkusen.

“Saka has been poor,” Burley lamented. “I feel some of the key players have lost that momentum, particularly Bukayo Saka, who has been a talisman for them.”

The former midfielder also pointed to other issues affecting Arsenal’s attacking rhythm, including the absence of captain Martin Ødegaard through injury.

“Ødegaard is injured again. We have talked a lot about Eze. Declan Rice looks to me as if he is getting deeper,” Burley added.

“It is a little flat from Arsenal at the moment and I think they need to find a spark in their game to pick in the final part of the season.”

Statistically, Saka endured a difficult outing in Germany. The 24-year-old failed to register a shot on target, managing just one attempt during his time on the pitch.

He also lost possession 14 times, completed only one successful dribble and drew a single foul before being withdrawn.

The performance reflects what has been a relatively inconsistent campaign for the Arsenal star across all competitions.

So far this season, Saka has scored nine goals and registered seven assists in 39 appearances for the North London club.

With Arsenal still competing on multiple fronts this season, the England international will be eager to rediscover his best form as the Gunners push to maintain their ambitions for major silverware.

The post Ex-Chelsea midfielder Burley hits out at Saka’s ‘poor’ performance against Leverkusen first appeared on ArsenalNews.co.uk.