Andros Townsend has praised the ‘big impact’ Arsenal star Bukayo Saka had for England as they recorded a 3-3 draw against Germany at Wembley on Monday night.
The Everton winger thinks Gareth Southgate likes to use Arsenal’s thriving academy product ‘like he uses Jack Grealish’, a player that can use his directness to attack teams from the bench.
Well, that proved to be the case against the Germans because, alongside Chelsea’s Mason Mount, they made quite the impact for their country.
The Three Lions went 2-0 down, before Luke Shaw bundled home to, pardon the pun, mount the start of the fightback from the home side.
That’s when Saka’s driving run found Mount on the edge of Germany’s area and his thunderous and curing first-time effort was too smart for Marc-Andre ter Stergen to deal with.
It just goes to show what Saka is capable of producing when the 21-year-old is playing in his natural position, as Townsend praised the player’s efforts from the bench and compared him to Manchester City’s £100 million man, as he told BBC Radio 5 Live Sport.
“He made a big impact off the bench,” said Townsend. “Probably similar to the way Gareth (Southgate) likes to use Grealish, more of an impact sub, fresh legs, direct, pace and confidence when defences are tiring.
“On this occasion, Gareth used his substitutions well and at the right time. Mason Mount as well.”
NORTH LONDON DERBY UP NEXT FOR SAKA…
From one pressure game to another heavyweight showdown, this time on the domestic stage, with the north London derby set to kick off proceedings once again after the international break.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are sitting at the top of the Premier League table, and if they can beat Tottenham on home soil on Saturday lunchtime, then they can start to open up a gap on the rest.
Last season, both Saka and Emile Smith Rowe scored on home soil for their boyhood clubs against Spurs, and they will be dreaming for more of the same.
More than likely, Smith Rowe won’t start because he has fallen down the pecking order under Arteta, but Saka will be expected to start, after scoring and assisting twice in his previous two matches.
