Arteta: Arsenal star surprised me, Chelsea are a force to be reckoned with
Mikel Arteta has hailed Bukayo Saka's determination to take his game to a new level as Arsenal chase a Premier League title defence.
An Achilles tendon injury blighted Saka's last campaign, with the effects even carrying over into his England duty at the World Cup. He managed just three starts across the eight matches the team played.
The 25-year-old winger cut short his summer holiday to rejoin training early, and that hunger paid off with goals against Coventry and Aston Villa. It marked his first time scoring in back-to-back league games since November 2024.
Even without Saka hitting top form in the 2025-2026 season, the Gunners won 7% more of their matches when he featured. His contribution matters all the more after the club failed to land a world-class striker in the window.
Arteta spotted the change immediately. Speaking about Saka's passion, in comments highlighted by the "ESPN" network, he said: "I noticed it straight away."
Arteta added: "The fact that he wanted to come back early was already a great sign, as well as the way he prepared during the summer."
He continued: "Things happen in your football career and then you need a certain motivation, or a little push sometimes, to take it to a different level."
"There are very good indications that Saka is giving that make us believe this is what will happen," Arteta went on.
Chelsea visit the Emirates on Sunday, and Saka has the chance to keep his run going against the London rivals, with both clubs coming off opening-day wins.
Early as it is, the game already looks like a decisive one for the title. Arteta reckons Chelsea will be a real force under new manager Enzo Maresca, who can pour his focus into the Premier League with the club out of European competition.
Arteta added: "I think they have everything it takes to be at the top of the Premier League table."
He continued: "Knowing him (Alonso), and knowing the history of the club and the quality of their squad, and the fixture schedule they will face compared to the other teams, it is very likely that this will be the case."
Two fellow Spaniards join Arteta in this season's Premier League: Alonso and Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola. The trio have been friends since playing together aged eight for a small club in San Sebastian.
That Basque upbringing, Arteta believes, forged toughness and resilience in all three.
The Spanish manager commented: "We have toughness and endurance, we clearly dealt with a lot of things within the country too, which strengthened us and made us different, not better but different in a sense."
Arteta concluded: "We used that upbringing and those values to be probably more prepared when we have to face difficult moments and challenges, and to move forward to overcome them."
