- Bukayo Saka scored twice in Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Monaco on Wednesday
- He almost netted his first hat-trick, but was denied by one of his team-mates
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Bukayo Saka has jokingly pinned the blame on one of his Arsenal team-mates for costing him his first hat-trick for the club in his side’s 3-0 win over Monaco on Wednesday night.
Saka put Arsenal ahead in the first half as he tapped home Gabriel Jesus’ cross, and he doubled the Gunners’ advantage after the interval when he capitalised on a defensive error by the visitors.
The 23-year-old still had 12 minutes to complete his hat-trick, and he nearly managed to pull it off.
With two minutes remaining, the ball dropped to him in the penalty box and Saka fired an effort towards goal, but the ball flicked off Kai Havertz and then Monaco defender Thilo Kehrer before flying into the roof of the net.
Havertz claimed the goal to deny Saka his third of the evening, and the winger admitted his team-mate had ‘got in the way’. However, he assured Arsenal fans that his maiden hat-trick is just around the corner.
‘He [Havertz] got in the way!’ Saka said in a post-match interview with TNT Sports. But don’t worry, it’s coming. It’s coming.’
Bukayo Saka was the star of the show as he scored twice for Arsenal on Wednesday night
He has jokingly claimed that Kai Havertz (second right) cost him his hat-trick by getting in the way of his late effort
Saka also hailed Myles Lewis-Skelly after the teenager excelled on his first Champions League start
Saka has now registered 20 goal involvements in 21 outings for Arsenal this season after having a hand in all three goals at the Emirates on Wednesday.
Mohamed Salah is the only other Premier League player to surpass this figure, as Saka continues to show how important he is to Arsenal’s bid for silverware this season.
He was not the only academy talent on the pitch against Monaco, as Myles Lewis-Skelly was also given his first Champions League start by Mikel Arteta.
Lewis-Skelly looked at home from the first whistle, and played a part in the opening goal of the night as he passed the ball through to Jesus who in turn found Saka.
Saka and Lewis-Skelly both spoke to TNT Sports after the game, and the former insisted he never had any doubts that the teenage prospect would step up to the challenge on the biggest stage.
Revealing what he told Lewis-Skelly before kick-off, Saka said: ‘I just said to him “this is his level”, he needs to have no doubts, play the game and have the confidence. We see what he’s doing in training.
‘We are pleased for him and he played a key part in the first goal. He just needs to keep going. I’m just so proud of him.’
