27 October 2023 , 01:00
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Arsenal ace Bukayo Saka is on course to equal a club record that has stood for just shy of three decades should he register a goal contribution against Sheffield United on Saturday.
The Gunners welcome the Blades to the Emirates and star-man Saka is in the kind of form that will concern opposition manager Paul Heckingbottom. The young England international has either scored or assisted a goal in seven of his eight league appearances for Arsenal so far this term.
Having opened his account for the campaign with a remarkable strike against Nottingham Forest on the opening day, goals followed against Fulham, Tottenham and Bournemouth. Saka turned provider for some of the Gunners' biggest games this season, registering assists against Manchester United, Everton and Chelsea.
Saka has only played one league game this season in which he hasn't managed a goal or an assist. That clash came all the way back in August on match-day two away at Crystal Palace, which the Gunners won 1-0 courtesy of a Martin Odegaard penalty.
If Saka finds the net or lays on a goal for a team-mate, the 22-year-old will become the first Arsenal player to have a goal involvement in seven consecutive league games since Alexis Sanchez managed the feat seven years ago. With that in mind, it has been 29 years since an Englishman managed that when Ian Wright hit form in 1994.
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Wright's was different in that his run was not divided between goals and assists, the Arsenal legend simply scored in seven successive games against Newcastle United, West Ham United, Crystal Palace, Wimbledon, Chelsea, Coventry City and Leicester City.
As is expected, Arteta is delighted with the way the Gunners academy graduate has performed this season. After confirming that Saka is part of the squad's leadership group, the Spaniard opted to wax lyrical over how Arsenal's young players have stepped up to the plate in a leadership sense.
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Bukayo Saka has been in fine form for Arsenal this season (Getty Images)Speaking ahead of Tuesday night's 2-1 away win against Sevilla, Arteta explained: "Yes, I think it's really important for them, t he role that they have in our way of playing in our team and our club has to be mirrored with the leadership level that they should have around the team to make the team grow.
"I think it's the perfect environment. We have a really good mixture of players, teams and experiences. It’s going to be a really valuable time to spend with those guys to understand what happens behind the scenes as well."