"You don’t have creativity" - Rio Ferdinand believes Arsenal are too reliant on Gunners star after their loss to Newcastle

Manchester United icon Rio Ferdinand believes that Arsenal have become overly reliant on Bukayo Saka after their loss at Newcastle United in the Premier League on November 4. The Englishman noted that the Gunners struggle with creativity anytime their star forward isn't on his game.

Arsenal fell to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Newcastle at St. James' Park in the Premier League on the weekend. It happened to be an off day for Bukayo Saka, who was far from his usual level throughout the game. The attacker struggled to create anything tangible and his side was obviously affected.

Reflecting on the game, Ferdinand explained that Mikel Arteta's men have become too dependent on the England winger. He noted that their creativity drops when he's not at the top of his game. The Manchester United legend also advised the Gunners to look after their star boy and the number of minutes he's playing at such a young age.

"I’ve noticed one thing about you lot though," Ferdinand said on his FIVE podcast. "When Saka ain’t on it, you don’t have creativity, Odegaard as well, those two are your big players."

“It’s a lot of games he’s played isn’t it? I’m not worried, but I’d be really looking at that. Michael Owen is a good yardstick for that. Look what happened to him, they need to take care of Saka,” he added.

It goes without saying that Saka has become a very important element in Arsenal's squad over the last couple of seasons. The attacker has made 15 appearances for the Gunners across all competitions this season, recording five goals and six assists to his name.

Arsenal, meanwhile, will next lock horns with Sevilla in the Champions League this Wednesday (November 8) and Saka is expected to lead the attack.

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How have Arsenal fared in recent games?

It hasn't been the best of runs for the Gunners in the last couple of weeks. Out of their last five games across all competitions, Mikel Arteta's men managed to claim just two victories, drawing one and losing the remaining two.

They played out a 2-2 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League followed by a 2-1 win over Sevilla in the Champions League. They earned a convincing 5-0 victory against Sheffield United in the league on October 28.

They were then kicked out of the EFL Cup Round of 16 by West Ham United courtesy of a 3-1 loss. Arsenal recorded another defeat last weekend with Newcastle beating them 1-0 at Saint James Park.