Brentford vs Arsenal: Bukayo Saka vital in starting lineup

Arsenal make the short journey west of the capital on Friday to face newly-promoted Brentford in the Premier League’s opening fixture of the 2021/22 season. Mikel Arteta’s side sorely need Bukayo Saka for it.

The Swedes have a lovely word, ‘lagom’, which means ‘just the right amount’. It ensures, among other things, that you can never be served too much or not enough. If such a word were attributed to Arsenal’s use of Bukayo Saka then Freddie Ljungberg would be raising both his eyebrows.

With the transfer window keeping all supporters unhealthily occupied, Saka was away in some unknown destination in the world paying absolutely no attention to it.

After the horrific abuse he suffered following his penalty miss for England in the Euro 2020 final, that young man deserved the best darn holiday money could buy. Even that wouldn’t come close to justifying his efforts for his country.

Brentford vs Arsenal: Bukayo Saka to start as Mikel Arteta sorely needs his best player in Friday’s Premier League opener

Having been heavily used in the Gunners’ dreadful campaign and then being subject to the most intense footballing pressure imaginable, he’s back in north London, needed again. Already.

What this window aimed to do was reduce the amount of reliance on both he and Emile Smith Rowe; two of the key figures who carried Arsenal through broken glass last season with bare hands, finding the personnel to help carry the proverbial suitcase was paramount.

That’s yet to come to fruition. Back in training and back in squads, Saka returns to a similar fold. Nothing much has changed, just like his essential 19-year-old presence in the Arsenal starting lineup.

If Arsenal were to be accused of a crime it would be blunt force trauma inflicted by a pool noodle. Lacking spark or invention in the final third, especially with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang shifted out on the left, they seek the footballing wisdom of Saka to unlock their own potential.

All signs point towards him being match ready. If he is, he plays.

Who of the front line drops out? Who cares? Whether it’s Lacazette or Aubameyang makes little difference so long as Arsenal can field their best players on the pitch.

This is near enough the same team that trudged towards an eighth place finish last season, one that wouldn’t have been even remotely achievable were it not for Saka’s interventions throughout.

Should Arsenal hope to accrue three precious Premier League points before facing Chelsea and Manchester City then Saka has to play. Even if he’s only had 30 minutes of football under his belt since returning from time away, a semi-sharp Saka still waltzes into this team with everyone’s eyes beaming on him.