Bukayo Saka is one of the most-fouled players in the Arsenal squad and has forced to get used to persistent kicking from opposition defenders.
In a recent interview with the Telegraph, he was asked how he deals with this persistent fouling and replied: “The hunger to win keeps me going. That is why I keep getting up.
“I am physically much stronger than I was four or five years ago. For each tackle, I have more experience in terms of which ones to go for and which ones to jump, to try to avoid a big tackle. So I am much smarter, as well as physically stronger than I was.
“There are two elements. The first is that defenders can’t do that all game. They will get yellow carded and then they have to stop. The second element is that, as an attacking player, you are in the team to score goals and create goals.
“Part of that is going to involve having to beat defenders and, yeah, they are going to try their best to stop you. One way they like to stop you is kicking you. But just because you get a kick, you can’t hide away and not do that. Because that is what you are in the team to do.”
Saka has been one of Arsenal’s best players this season, despite all the kicking, having scored 18 goals and provided 14 assists so far in the campaign. He will, although, aim to improve that goal output against Tottenham Hotspur in the must-win upcoming North London Derby.
