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Bukayo Saka "really enjoying" life under Mikel Arteta despite unfamiliar position

Bukayo Saka
© Reuters
The 18-year-old is currently operating at left-back.

Arsenal teenager Bukayo Saka may be making an impression at left-back but he still dreams of being a winger.

With Kieran Tierney out injured Saka has shone in his absence having been asked to play that position by Mikel Arteta, forging ahead of Sead Kolasinac in the pecking order.

Although he is in a more defensive role, the 18-year-old is still showing his attacking prowess as he added another assist to his haul in the 4-0 romp over Newcastle, with an outrageous piece of skill to nutmeg Valentino Lazaro and then tee up Nicolas Pepe.

No one in the Arsenal squad has more assists than him this season, so it is little surprise he sees his future further up the pitch.

"I'm really enjoying my football under the new manager," he said. "It's not my natural position but he's given me all the advice I need.

"I've got Granit (Xhaka) behind, David (Luiz) supporting and speaking to me so it gives me licence to go and express myself in the final third and do what I can do.

"I feel like my dream was always to be a winger, to affect games, score goals and get assists. For now I'll do the job the manager asks me to."

While he is being asked to play more defensively, the England youth international is at least getting an education which he says will help him when he does return to the wing.

"I learned a lot about how wingers in the Premier League play against defenders and how to position myself because in his system it's different," he added.

"I get to play much higher because the winger comes inside and I get to go.

"There's a lot of space for me and it's good for me. I'm playing sort of as a winger when we have the ball but without the ball I have to come back and work on my clearances, my heading and stuff I haven't worked on my whole life. I feel like I'm doing OK right now."

Saka is out of contract next summer and has revealed he is in talks to extend his stay at the Emirates.

However, he is not getting too involved.

"I just leave all that stuff to my agent and my parents," he said. "I just enjoy my football and play my football.

"Like I said it's for my agent. They're sorting it out. Of course I'm enjoying my football, enjoying playing under the new coach so we'll see what happens."

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Arsenal's Alexandre Lacazette celebrates scoring their fourth goal with Shkodran Mustafi, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Bukayo Saka and teammates on February 16, 2020
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TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool18143145172845
2Arsenal19116238172139
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest1911442619737
4Chelsea19105438231535
5Newcastle UnitedNewcastle1995532211132
6Manchester CityMan City199463226631
7Bournemouth198652923630
8Fulham197842825329
9Aston Villa198562831-329
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton196942928127
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1973941281324
12Brentford197393335-224
13West Ham UnitedWest Ham196582335-1223
14Manchester UnitedMan Utd196492126-522
15Crystal Palace194872027-720
16Everton183871524-917
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1944113142-1116
18Ipswich TownIpswich1936101833-1515
19Leicester CityLeicester1935112242-2014
20Southampton1913151239-276


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