Arsenal are one of the best teams in England and in Europe, there’s no doubt about that.
Indeed, Arsenal have finished second in the Premier League for two years running, sitting only behind an all-conquering Manchester City side.
Meanwhile, Arsenal are Champions League contenders this season.
However, for as good as Arsenal are, they’re not always the most exciting team in the world.
Indeed, Arsenal are often praised for their defensive acumen, while Mikel Arteta has been compared to Tony Pulis in the past for how he uses his set-pieces.
At times, Arsenal can be difficult watch as a neutral, and speaking on his podcast, Rio Ferdinand has claimed that one Arsenal player really isn’t that entertaining to watch.
- READ MORE: David Ornstein says Mikel Arteta could actually sell a ‘notable player’ at Arsenal this summer
Rio Ferdinand makes Bukayo Saka entertainment claim
Ferdinand was discussing flair players in football today and the lack of individuality within the game.
According to the pundit, Bukayo Saka is in the same category as Mohamed Salah.
Ferdinand says that Salah and Saka are both incredibly efficient and consistent, but they don’t have that entertainment factor that some players have.
Saka has been described as world class in the past, but he’s not the most entertaining of footballers according to Rio Ferdinand.
“Salah and Saka are quite similar maybe in that sense. You probably don’t pay to watch them because they’re not going to excite you with like a step over the Brazilian vibe like that, yeah?” Ferdinand said.
“Which is like the entertainment factor. But you know what you’re getting every week. Consistency and you’re going to get output.”
Bukayo Saka compared to Premier League’s top dribblers
Ferdinand has a point here, Saka isn’t as exciting as other players as he’s not that much of a maverick these days.
Saka is all about output, if he’s not creating a goalscoring chance or having a high-xG shot, he’s not doing his job.
While Saka may not be as exciting as certain players in the Premier League, he’s much more effective than most.
Entertainment value often comes down to your ability to beat a man, and the top dribblers in the Premier League this season are; Jeremy Doku, Mohammed Kudus and Iliman Ndiaye.
All of those players dribble more than Saka, but they don’t score or assist as many.
| Bukayo Saka | Jeremy Doku | Iliman Ndiaye | Mohammed Kudus | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | 16 | 19 | 24 | 23 |
| Goals | 5 | 3 | 6 | 3 |
| Assists | 10 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
Doku has earned tons of praise over the years for how exciting he is as a player, but if he’s not scoring or creating, what’s the point of all of his tricks and turns?
Saka may not be the next Ronaldinho, but, in this day and age, that doesn’t matter, goals and assists are the key currency for any attacker, and Saka rules the roost in that regard.
