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Bukayo Saka showed he has mental fortitude against Real Madrid.
We often say that professional sports is 90 percent above the shoulders, and Bukayo Saka showed he's as mentally tough as they come in Arsenal's 2-1 win over Real Madrid.
With Saka seen as one of Arsenal's prime movers, he was tasked with stepping up to take a penalty just minutes into the second leg clash that could have eased all the nerves and put the tie to bed.
On the road, against a European powerhouse, it was the chance Arsenal craved, and it got it, but Saka's penalty was poor, and it was saved. Cue the monster celebrations from the Madrid fans.
The tide was beginning to turn.
Saka Arsenal's new mentality monster
But as we have seen from Bukayo over the past two years, he's not easily rattled, and not only did he overcome his early penalty miss, he put it right.
In the second half, Saka was sent through by Mikel Merino, and Bukayo's delightfully clipped ball over the on-rushing Thibaut Courtois to put the Gunners ahead on the night and end the game as a tie at 4-0.
So that speaks to how Saka can put his early mistake to the back of his mind, re-focus, and still be the leader his team needed to him to.
Oh, he's special alright, folks. But hey, we already knew that, right?
"I can go on and on with individuals and a lot of different cases, I will answer in that same way," Arteta said via arsenal.com. "With Bukayo, he stepped up, he didn't score, obviously, that could be a turning point emotionally in the game because it gives him a lot of belief. But then the way he handled the situation, the way he played afterwards, and the personality that he showed at his age. It's the first time he's played in this stadium, it's incredible."
We have seen players shy away from the spotlight when things aren't going their way, but Saka, in what was the biggest game of his career, didn't turn away; he put his head down and ran straight at it.
Yes, in an ideal world, Saka would have powered home his penalty instead of a little dink, but lessons were learned, and he didn't let it faze him.
Saka's not only a monster on the field, regarded as one of the best in world football, but when you add the mentality of a champion, that my friends, is a dangerous combination.
And it was one that helped Arsenal power past Real Madrid...in their own building.