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Pundit Peter Schmeichel has called out Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka for having a quiet outing during his side's UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg clash against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). The Gunners lost 1-0 against the Parisians in a fierce encounter at the Emirates on Tuesday, April 29.
Ousmane Dembele's fourth-minute strike sealed a vital win for Luis Enrique's side, who now have one foot in the final in Munich. Arsenal gave a spirited performance on the night, but failed to level the score. Gabriel Martinelli forced Gianluigi Donnarumma to pull off a superb save in first-half stoppage time. Mikel Merino's second-half header goal was ruled due to offside by VAR.
Meanwhile, Thomas Partey missed the clash due to an accumulated card suspension. While speaking on CBS Sports' post-match coverage, Schmeichel opined that a good number of Arsenal's big players were poor on the night. When it was suggested that the Gunners' performance against PSG was due to the absence of Partey he said (via Football London):
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"Do you think it was just that? Because I have a feeling that it was too many of the big players not turning up today."
Schmeichel singled out Saka, stating that the 23-year-old was a shadow of himself and looked tired against the Ligue 1 champions. He said:
"I thought Saka was very, very quiet. It was just a little bit of both [Saka having an off day and PSG keeping him quiet], a little bit of both. He just looked a little bit tired if I’m honest."
"When he got the opportunities to actually challenge [Nuno] Mendes, he just didn’t have that extra bit of Saka magic we’ve seen before," he added.
Arsenal will look to overturn the result and book a ticket to the final when the return leg takes place next Wednesday (May 7) at the Parc des Princes.
How did Arsenal star Bukayo Saka perform against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)?
Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka had a quiet game by his lofty standards during his side's 1-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). Saka played the entire minutes of the clash but didn't have much impact in the final third.
He managed just one shot on target, created only one chance, and had only one touch in the opposition's box. The England international completed four of his seven dribble attempts, but was dispossessed of the ball three times.
Saka recently returned from a hamstring injury, which kept him sidelined for months. He has netted twice in eight appearances since his return. This includes his goal in his side's 2-1 win over Real Madrid in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final at the Santiago Bernabeu.
