3 reasons for Bukayo Saka’s drop in form

3. Physical treatment

Not only has Saka played a huge number of minutes this season for club and country in the Premier League, Europa League and World Cup, but he has also been kicked up and down the pitch every week.

Saka is the ninth most fouled player in the league this season, winning 40 free kicks, but only four yellows have been shown to players for those 40 fouls and many overly aggressive tackles have been overlooked by referees.

At some point, officials are going to have to discuss whether they are prepared to protect players like Bukayo Saka.

Arteta has been reluctant to call this out, and has said that it is on the club and Saka to get used to it: “But we have to train that and he needs to learn when to take certain balls, what to do with that ball, how to use his body, when to jump. There are a lot of things we can train, but obviously, it is very difficult to understand what the opponent is going to do.”

Saka will have to train to handle it as referees refuse to protect him, however, there is no doubt that being kicked to the level he has been this season eventually takes the spring out of your step, and further enhances fatigue come the final stages of the season.