Saka's performances under Arteta since being handed his senior debut back in 2019 have seen him develop into one of the best wingers in Europe. The England international is now considered a key player for club and country with Saka having recently committed his long-term future to Arsenal.
The 22-year-old has already scored five goals and provided six assists in 11 appearances across all competitions so far this season. Saka picked up a hamstring injury in his last Champions League appearance against RC Lens - but is now fit once again and likely to be involved against Sevilla tonight after facing Chelsea at the weekend.
The England international has shown he is capable of performing in key moments for the Gunners at such a young age and he has now been handed a new role by Arteta. Martin Odegaard was named as club captain at the start of last season - despite only being 23 at the time.
The likes of Saka and Odegaard are seen as the players to lead their teammates forward towards success and take responsibility in crucial moments of the season. Arteta revealed that he is happy with how the young players in the squad are adapting and showing their leadership qualities ahead of the clash against Sevilla: "Yes, I think it's really important for them," he said when asked about the leadership group at Arsenal.
"The role that they have in our way of playing in our team and our club has to be mirrored with the leadership level that they should have around the team to make the team grow. I think it's the perfect environment.
"We have a really good mixture of players, teams and experiences. It’s going to be a really valuable time to spend with those guys to understand what happens behind the scenes as well."When asked whether Saka is a part of the leadership group, Arteta simply responded: "Yes." This new role for Saka further emphasises his importance to Arsenal as he looks to help fire the Gunners to their first Premier League title since 2004 - along with qualification for the Champions League knockout rounds.
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