Bukayo Saka thanked the fans at Emirates Stadium for creating such an incredible atmosphere as 60,000 watched Arsenal rip Sp*rs to shreds to secure a 3-1 win and the north London bragging rights.
Roared on by a crowd who arrived in an optimistic mood despite a difficult start to the season, the Gunners produced one of their best performances of the Mikel Arteta era doing all the damage early as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Emile Smith Rowe and Saka netted inside 34 minutes.
“It was incredible,” said Saka when asked about the support. “The fans gave us everything. We needed to start fast and we have to thank the fans.
“We scored three goals in the first half and a lot was down to the energy they were giving us, the reactions they were giving us.
“Every press we do, every tackle, they give us so much energy and confidence. Thank you to the fans. We’re happy we can repay them with a win.”
Saka also revealed that he and fellow Academy graduate had chatted pre-game about what it would be like to score in a north London derby.
“Yesterday at breakfast we spoke about this, ‘Imagine how it would feel to score in a north London derby'”, said Saka.
“When Emile scored the first goal, I just looked at him and we remembered the conversation. When I scored, he looked at me again and it was just a very, very special feeling for both of us to do it in this stadium as well.
“It feels very nice to share the moment with him. Even if he scored and I didn’t, I would still be happy for him but the most important thing is that we won and got the three points and everyone can go home happy.
“I think we already knew how much it means to the fans, but it means as much to them as it does to us. When you se the crowd and everyone is cheering, that is how we feel. So it means everything to us.”
Great game
Amazing. Saka and ESR are special talents. Houpefully emule has opened the floodgates now and the goals come thick and fast. He gets into such great places. The two technical attackers is so key to making auba effective too. Pepe and auba together just aren’t the best balance. Having Odegaard and ESR just gives us so much more creativity and in build up and allows auba to play direct, where he is a menace. Admittedly though… It was only against sp*rs 🤣🤣🤣
It was alright.
Could have been better if we played great football that blew spurz away. Oh.
Would have been better if we had a couple of academy players who could have scored. Oh.
Ok, well I would have liked to have seen the Spurz captain and best player have a shocker including doing something stupid like falling over leading to a counter attack and goa… ohhh.
If only this site had positive fans with great funny comments. Oh
Love it!
Massive performance from Saka. He’s looked a bit out of sorts this season. Great players perform in big games.
Saka’s backa.
I must commend Arteta for not yielding to the temptation if dropping him because of his lackluster start to the season.
Of*** not if
Wasn’t out of sorts! His best position is on the right! He’s the 72m player
Saka’s Backa!!!
Quick, somebody tell Saka that every game is a big game… we’ll walk this league. 🙂
I still see about scoring in the NLD.
*dream
Love him
The Hale End boys are the real leaders in this team. It makes all the difference to have important players in the side who know and love the club. When ESR says it’s the best day of his life, I honestly believe him.
That also could and should be said of the non-Hale End boys today. They were all leaders today.
Odegard and Toni both put in monumental efforts and performances today. Gabriel was a colossus, and let’s not forget Tierney – who held the halfway line for the second half. Partey was a leader in midfield Excellent team performance today
And Ramsdale? Too chuffed for words! Perhaps the best part of the day was seeing the smiles on the face of the boys who didn’t play especially Leno. You could see the genuine support for each other.
*faces
loved Auba’s rendition of celebrating in front of the Spuds’ fans like Henry back in the day
With the King in the stadium to boot.
Wearing his vintage Wrighty JVC top and Wrighty going mental in the studio each time a goal was scored.
Some beautiful symmetry there!
Tributes within tributes.
Wasn’t that f**king great. Nice observation.
Walahi, who’s cutting onions. 🥺
I’ve just got something in my eye
Awwww, I really love this boy, so Arsenal, so talented, so humble, I feel like a proud dad when our academy kids break in to the 1st team and excel and it’s particularly pleasing that these kids not only broke in, but are by merit the driving forces of the 1st team right now…proud as a peacock😁
So touching to hear saka talk about them dreaming just a day before.
Those two are just so easy to love on every level. Exactly the players and characters this team needs to lead out into the next era!!!
This kid will have a statue outside the Emirates and I am sure he will sit in the stands like Henry and cheer on the next generation one day.
Amen 🙏🙏🙏
Read that this is only the 12th game Arteta has had the fans in the stadium.
Just crazy.
Have to say our fans were EXCELLENT today.
Have not heard the stadium so raucous in a long while.
And it made a difference.
To see those Spurs fans armed folded as per usual…
Could not even hear Curtis at the end.
and here’s to many more!
Massive respect to Saka and ESR showing how it’s done in a NLD! Glad he seems to be out of the post-Euros funk he had been in.
Yesterday the whole team played well, but it was especially satisfying to see our no. 14, 10 and 7 score. Number 4 was anchoring our midfield, and no. 8 was tormenting the opposition defense and floating beyond the lines. Good times. It really is a new look, fresh Arsenal side.
What a class act that Saka. Mature beyond his years. And a fantastic player.
Take a bow.
Bukayo Saka (aged 20 years and 21 days) is the youngest player in Premier League history to both score and assist in a north London derby – a record previously held by Cesc Fabregas.
What a performance from our Hale End graduates and the team!!! Everything looks solid, the tactic was spot on (to Arteta), good cohesion, good fighting spirit, good defending from forwards to defenders.
We can win ugly and we can win with style. More of this, please!!!
The kids are alright!
To the indescribably pathetic Spuds troll who has spent his Sunday sadly scrolling through every comment on ALL our threads, carefully clicking the red thumbs…
Have you any idea of
(a) how much satisfaction you give us knowing we’re living rent-free in your already-ruined weekend?
(b) how truly and desperately sad you really are?
Mwuhahahahahahahaaaaaaaa!
And there he is… you gotta getta life, fella!
Bukayo ❤️
Saka: Emile Smith’s Browe
🤜🤛
Emile Smith Rowe: Bro-kayo Saka
🤜🤛
Spuds scored when the crowd started getting quiet. Players retreating also. Watching Arteta he wanted them to sit deep. I guess for the counter attack but we were smashing them! Hay all good but if ramsdale don’t do a worldy we are twitching for the last 5 mins. I just wish if your smashing a team…carry on. You need a rest ? After 25 mins??
Saka fast becoming my favourite player since Thierry. Could be Ian Wright levels within the next couple of years. Talent level is incredible and he could play at any club in world football, but most of all he is just the nicest guy. We are so lucky to have this special kid. COYG – FOYS
Thanks to all who attended the game – such a great feeling to hear the home crowd roaring. The atmosphere was buzzing before the game started, and the way the crowd was backing the team throughout would have had an effect on both the team and sp*rs, no doubt about it. Let’s continue to make the Emirates a fearsome place for any opposition to come to!!
If – and I mean IF – these guys continue to be allowed to play the way they did yesterday – especially in that first half – then the sky really is the limit; we could actually crack top four. But it’s up to Arteta. He’s got it all there, he’s got the players, they’re young and hungry – and, I’ll say this for him, he has got them working bloody hard for each other – no mean feat, especially in this day and age. There was a real, honest, powerful, genuine team spirit yesterday – I haven’t seen that… Read more »
I’ve had a lot of reservations about arteta, because for too long he just saw: age = experience and maturity. It was a bad mistake. Now we’ve gone young and we’re much better balanced (I think swapping lokonga for xhaka and that is our perfect team in terms of age and balance and long-term future; hopefully not too long to wait there) – double pivot, with two technical attackers, Saka (technical and direct) providing the build up to allow auba to play direct. Add to that we didn’t force everything through xhaka which didn’t allow us down – way more… Read more »
oh ye of little faith!
Kudo’s to you Qualiteee. Didn’t expect you to admit you have been wrong about the manager all this time. Our team has fallen so far over the last 10 years, the most important thing, the ability to fight and not back down, had been lost. Arteta addressed this at his first press interview. I wasn’t sure if he could do it and have had my doubts about him along the way because he makes rookie manager mistakes, but that performance from the team and the supporters, was what I’ve been looking for. We may take two steps forward and one… Read more »
If this team goes into every game with the NLD mentality, there is a space in the top 4 for us.
Man City, Chelsea and Liverpool look nailed on but that is that. United look suspect; and I believe we can overtake them if we apply all our energies to it.
COYG!
Liverpool are nailed on only if they escape significant injuries–they are a very strong team (and they have Klopp), but not a deep squad compared to the other three. Man United have so much quality they can probably get top four even without a coherent identity or or plan. The other two–fine coaches and billions. Hard to match that.
Spot on.
It’ll be difficult because United have got old cocky bollocks back, but thankfully one man doesn’t make a team.
It’s nice (perhaps more relief than anything) to be able to talk about this kind of stuff again, I think.
I feel it’s within reach, but also in the lap of the gods to a degree, in that we will need some fortuitous upsets from some of the other ‘banana skin’ teams.
If they raise their game(s) vs the big 4, and we get the rub of the green/channel that NLD spirit… we might just burgle 4th!
Only Norwich, Only Burnley, Only Wimbledon, Only Spuds – bring on Only Brighton, Only Palace, Only Villa et al.
“Even if he scored and I didn’t, I would still be happy for him.” As a teary-eyed Pep would say: “‘Ee’s soooooo nice.”