Arsenal star Bukayo Saka is often one of the first players the Gunners will turn to for a late goal, but back in 2018 he missed a dramatic equaliser for his boyhood club after leaving his seat early.
Saka, 22, has been a regular for the Gunners this season. The England international has only missed a handful of games, contributing 16 goals and 13 assists across 37 outings for Mikel Arteta 's team.
Back in 2018, though, the forward was among the academy hopefuls in position to take in a London derby against Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium. It was Arsene Wenger 's final season at the helm, and every point was important in pursuit of European qualification.
After Jack Wilshere gave the Gunners the lead, Chelsea duo Eden Hazard and Marcos Alonso turned the game on its head. Saka made an early exit with Arsenal still trailing 2-1, only to hear the reaction to Hector Bellerin's stunning equaliser from outside.
Saka was asked by Snickers to rank football fans' own goals, including losing battery when your ticket is on your phone. When asked about missing a goal because you're queuing for food, though, he went one better.
Wenger breaks silence on Arsenal visit as he doubles down on title prediction
"That's an eleven (out of 10)," Saka said. "I've done that before, it's a bad feeling. I remember leaving Arsenal v Chelsea early. Hector Bellerin scored a late, late equaliser and I heard it from leaving outside."
Have you missed a goal because you left early? Share your stories in the comments section
Hector Bellerin's equaliser came in the third added minute (AFP/Getty Images)It was no ordinary goal, either. Any Bellerin strike is a collector's item, but on this occasion the right-back found the top corner of Thibaut Courtois' net in the third minute of stoppage-time to send the home fans wild - so wild, in fact, that Saka claims he heard them from outside the ground.
"It was a great football game," Wenger said after the draw, per The BBC. "That's what you want people to talk about. The media and social networks drive everyone crazy today, but what is important to me is a good football game.
"We played three games in six days and you could see the team gave absolutely everything. We have a busy schedule and have made bad decisions but there is still great quality in our games."
No Arsenal player has more Premier League goals than Saka's 13 this seasn (PA)The point ensured Arsenal extended their unbeaten run to seven games around the turn of the year, but five defeats in their following seven outings dashed any lingering Champions League hopes. Wenger announced in April 2018 that he would leave at the end of the campaign, and his team ended the season in sixth.
Saka never got the opportunity to play a first-team game under Wenger, only making his debut under Unai Emery in November 2018. The winger had the chance to meet Le Professeur in December 2022, though, when Wenger returned to the Emirates Stadium for a league victory against West Ham.
"Bukayo didn’t know him but he called him ‘boss’ immediately," Arsenal executive vice-chair Tim Lewis said of the encounter. "He said, ‘Boss, how can I improve?’ – [and] Arsene very dryly said, ‘I think you could use your right foot a bit more’."
and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
