Thierry Henry has revealed that Bukayo Saka was playing through injury as he scored the goal which sent Arsenal to the Champions League final on Tuesday night.
The semi-final between the Gunners and Atletico Madrid was all square after a cagey first-leg in Spain , but Saka’s tap-in on the stroke of half-time proved decisive .
It will be their first final appearance since 2006, when they were beaten by Barcelona, with this year’s opponent to be decided this evening as Paris Saint-Germain visit Bayern Munich .
Arsenal poster-boy Saka produced a fantastic performance in the semi-final second leg.
It has now been revealed, though, that he was not fully fit for the tie but insisted on playing.
Saka missed a few weeks of football and withdrew from England duty following the Carabao Cup final as he looked to recover from the niggling injury, and, per Arsenal legend Henry, he had ‘barely’ trained ahead of Tuesday night’s match.
“Being a footballer is not so much always about the glamorous time,” he said on CBS Sports.
“He’s been questioned all season.
Can he be the guy?
Is he not the guy?
Is he the star boy?
Is he not the star boy?
Is he better than him or not better than him?
Today he had to play with barely training.
I know he’s suffering with his Achilles tendon.
“He came back, I spoke to him and he came back and was like: ‘I’ve got to be on the pitch.
I’ve got to be on the pitch against Fulham.
I have to be.
It’s do or die’.
“So you have to give those guys a lot of credit.
Sometimes we take it for granted.
We all played through injuries.
We all played with moments where you’re not 100 per cent and he had to do it, deliver it for Arsenal.”
Speaking post-match, Saka suggested there was some truth to Henry’s claim, saying he did not want supporters’ pity if he failed to perform.
He said: “It’s not easy, but I don’t want to say I’m struggling and make people feel sorry for me.
As soon as I step onto that pitch & put myself out there, I have to be ready for whatever critics I face if I don’t perform and that’s the reality at this level.
"We’re competing for some big things - Premier League, Champions League - so the stakes are high & if you don’t perform, you’re going to get criticised.”
Arsenal 1-0 Atletico: Gunners reach Champions League final - LIVE
Bayern Munich vs PSG: Prediction, kick-off time, team news, TV, odds
Wenger disagrees with Rooney over Arsenal's Champions League celebrations
Art After Dark is back with an exciting calendar of cultural events
Saka was not alone in fighting through injury to play the match, though, as Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard shook off injuries to feature off the bench.
Arsenal will now face either Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final, which will be staged in Budapest later this month.
Saka is also set to play a key role in the Premier League run-in as the Gunners look to secure their first title since 2004.
Related Stories
Source: This article was originally published by Evening Standard
Read Full Original Article →
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to comment!
Leave a Comment