Arsenal Vs Blackpool: Bukayo Saka’s coming out party

Unai Emery extolled the virtues of young Bukayo Saka prior to Arsenal’s trip to Blackpool on Saturday. Could this be the coming out party for the bright 17-year-old winger?

Giving chances to young players. It has long been a staple tradition of Arsenal football club. When the search for Arsene Wenger’s successor was conducted in the summer, one of the key attributes of the new manager was a track-record of dealing with young players and bleeding them into the first team.

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Unai Emery was the man that they landed on. And since his appointment at the start of the season, he has continued to give young players chances to start in meaningful matches. Of players who were under 21 prior to the start of the season, Arsenal have given four players minutes in the Premier League. No team has used more.

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And on Saturday, when Emery takes his team to Blackpool for the third round of the FA Cup, there will be one player that I will keep an especially close eye on.

Emery was keen to highlight one Bukayo Saka — incidentally, he is the youngest player to play at least one minute in the Premier League this season — in his pre-match press conference this week. He did not hold on back on his praise and expectations for the fleet-footed, game-ripping 17-year-old:

"“Saka is in the academy, growing up with good performances. It is the beginning, I hope, of a long career here in Arsenal. He is improving a lot and, although he is very young, he is training with us and understanding our tactics with the other players. He is coming with us on a lot of matches and living our moments with the team. Now he starts to play in the games and also in the Premier League. He is going to have a career but we need to help him also with a strategy for this.”"

Saka has already made one start this season, in Arsenal’s final Europa League match. He then played the final seven minutes of the New Year’s Day win over Fulham this past week. Emery is clearly excited about Saka’s talent. He would not be so bullish in his public praise if he was not. And he would not be willing to play him in the Europa League and Premier League if he did not trust him, even at 17.

Playing against League One opposition in Blackpool, Saka has a real opportunity to show off his potential once more. In brief glimpses thus far, he has illustrated his exhilarating skill on the ball, his blistering speed, his shifty dribbling and frightening direct style of play, but it will be nice to see him play more extensively against senior footballers who will be experienced and understand how to defend someone of his abilities.

Can he continue to threaten against defenders who have dealt with players of his ilk before? No longer is he the most athletic player on the pitch. This is not youth football where you can pick on the weak. Even at the League One level, Blackpool will cause Saka difficulty. Can he overcome it?

As has been the case throughout the years with Arsenal, the FA Cup could be the coming out party for Bukayo Saka. And I will be watching intently.