Saka reveals surprising motivation ahead of his 200th match for Arsenal

Bukayo Saka revealed that Thierry Henry, the club legend, sent him a message on Saturday morning right before Arsenal's 2-0 win against West Ham United, as the 24-year-old prepared to match a record established by Henry.

During the London derby at Emirates Stadium, Saka initially did not wear the captain's armband but had to take on the role after Martin Ødegaard was injured and substituted in the first half. Despite the personnel change, Arsenal played proactively and controlled the game.

In the 63rd minute, Saka successfully converted a penalty awarded thanks to Jurriën Timber, thereby becoming the second player in Arsenal’s history to score exactly in their 200th match for the club, the other being Thierry Henry. Notably, Henry had messaged Saka that morning to gently remind him that Arsenal had lost their last two home games against West Ham, as a way to motivate the younger player not to let history repeat itself.

Saka told Sky Sports after the match: “Thierry messaged me this morning to remind me that we lost the last two times we hosted West Ham at home. He always pushes me. I’m really happy to be standing alongside his records.”

Not only did he score to give his team the lead, but this goal also helped the 2001-born forward reach 100 goal contributions in the Premier League, making him the seventh youngest player in the league’s history to achieve this feat.

Coach Mikel Arteta praised his protégé without reservation: “What he has accomplished at this age is extraordinary. His impact in matches is very hard to achieve. I’m very happy for Saka. He is extremely consistent and always eager to learn. He knows how to find the net. He will continue to develop and hopefully keep bringing a positive influence to the team.”

The victory over West Ham also helped Arsenal overtake Liverpool to move to the top of the Premier League table. Shortly afterward, a 1-2 defeat for Arne Slot’s team against Chelsea further solidified the Gunners’ number one position. However, the win was not completely flawless as captain Martin Ødegaard had to leave the pitch in the 30th minute due to a knee injury. Coach Arteta expressed concern when updating after the game: “With Martin, it was a knee-to-knee collision. At the moment, things don’t look positive. We need further assessment to determine the extent.”

Notably, Ødegaard became the first player in Premier League history to be substituted out before halftime in three consecutive matches he started, a statistic that worries fans and coaching staff alike.

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