Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta makes exciting Bukayo Saka observation after injury battle
Bukayo Saka netted in Arsenal's opening Premier League win at Coventry City
Mikel Arteta believes a fit and firing Bukayo Saka can give Premier League champions Arsenal an extra "edge" this season.
The England international, who voluntarily took just one full week off to rest this summer, has started the campaign in red-hot form after netting against Coventry.
Arteta senses Saka is keen to make up for lost time after an Achilles issue hindered his impact last term, despite title glory.
He said ahead of the trip to Aston Villa: “We had an excellent season as a team but he knows that he can do much more than what he did last year in a lot of aspects.
"And that's the players that we want, that they are not satisfied, that they want much more. And Bukayo certainly looks to have a real edge this season.”
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Saka was a notable absentee from the red carpet in Manchester earlier this week as a cluster of his team-mates - David Raya, Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes and Declan Rice - earned a spot in the PFA Team of the Year.
Arteta is optimistic Arsenal can get even better this season, not least because Saka seems to have put his fitness battle behind him.
He added while acknowledging his stars' achievements: "Well, I think it tells you how strong the team was and to have half of the team there representing the club, it's a really proud moment.
"And it tells you the story of the season as well, that we had some of our best attacking players out for five and six months and we still managed to accomplish what we did, which is a huge credit to the rest of the boys.”
Arteta is striving to mark an important milestone with victory in the Midlands this evening. It will be his 250th match as a Premier League manager.
He already boasts a better win percentage than Gunners great Arsene Wenger (58.4), Rafael Benitez (56.2) and Mauricio Pochettino (52.4).
However, a win would mean he was just one triumph shy of matching Sir Alex Ferguson's total of 152 wins from his opening 250 top-flight matches.
Only Jose Mourinho (63.2), Jurgen Klopp (64) and Pep Guardiola (73.6) boast better win percentages than Arteta and Ferguson after 250 games.
Mikel Arteta has been full of praise for Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka
Ex-Arsenal boss Unai Emery will relish the occasion and the chance to spark Aston Villa's campaign into life following a turbulent summer that has seen them stripped of their most-valuable assets.
Arteta said of his opposite number: "His skill as a manager is unquestionable for the club’s he has been. He always excels expectations that he has, which is a massive quality.
“Each club will have their own strategy. The way they have operated and the resources they have got are incredible.
"They deserve huge credit for what they’ve done over the last few years and I’m sure they’re really clever.
"There are some very smart people in this football club, it’s really well operated and I’m sure they’re clear what they want to do."
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