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Bukayo Saka impresses for Arsenal, but Mikel Arteta, who is leaning towards Isco, maintains his focus on the transfer market.
Mikel Arteta’s business in January will not change due to Arsenal’s last two results, although Bukayo Saka continues to provide the creative spark the Gunners need.
Arsenal were winless in seventh and fifteenth in the table at Christmas, but have since beaten Chelsea, Brighton and Hove Albion.
The latest 1-0 win at Brighton came courtesy of a goal by Alexandre Lacazette 29 seconds after coming off the bench on Tuesday.
Arteta’s men are now nine points ahead of the bottom three, surely quelling any malicious talk about the descent, but they’re not looking to take their foot off the gas.
When asked whether consecutive wins for the second time this season in the league would affect the urgency of making moves in the next transfer window, Arteta replied: “No, the latest results will not change our approach to the window.”
The Arsenal manager was specifically asked about the possibility of signing Real Madrid’s underprivileged playmaker Isco, but added: “Obviously we can’t talk about individual players.”
With Mesut Ozil out of Arsenal’s Premier League and Europa League teams, Isco could potentially bring a new dimension to midfield.
In his seven and a half years at Madrid, only Karim Benzema (60), Cristiano Ronaldo (47) and Toni Kroos (46) have given more LaLiga assists to the whites than Isco (42), who has created 306 occasions in 217 matches. (1.4 per game).
However, in the band, Arsenal already have a creative force in the form of the 19-year-old English international Saka.
Lacazette’s superb assist was number 15 in all club competitions since the start of last season, more than any other Arsenal player.
Saka played the most key passes (three) of any visiting player at Amex Stadium, having scored his second league goal of the season in the Chelsea game.
However, Arteta wants to keep the player grounded and tells reporters: “I would like everyone to be cautious and let him be and let him develop.
“I think he’s having the right progression, I think he has the right people around him, in his house, in his entourage.
“So he has the right teammates to support him all the time, give him confidence, keep his feet on the court but also give him support and confidence.”
“Hopefully we can be the right coaches around him and the right club to see what it can be like in the future.
“Today he had a difficult game in the first half because we weren’t taking advantage of certain moments to generate advantages for him and the other attackers in the right way.
“The game gets really tough with your back to goal against a back five on a low block.
“In the second half, we started playing different balls and attacking in different ways. They found more freedom, more space, and more ability to unlock situations and lockdown.
“We created four or five great opportunities and he was involved in most of them.”
Saka was substituted nine minutes from the end as he was unable to shake off a blow, and Arteta asked if the apparent injury was serious.
“Hopefully not,” said the coach. “He was limping, I think he took a big challenge, but I hope he’s okay.”
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
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