Arsenal Turn to Saka’s Spark to Break Atletico Deadlock in Semifinal Second Leg
After returning from an Achilles injury, Saka is being counted on to provide the creativity Arsenal need to reach their second Champions League final.
Arsenal lead 1-1 on aggregate but will rely on Saka’s form, with Robert Pires backing the winger to inspire the squad in the Atletico rematch...
Bukayo Saka is back from injury and immediately lifting Arsenal’s attack, arriving at the right moment as the Gunners keep both the Premier League and Champions League in sight.
He scored and assisted Viktor Gyokeres in Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Fulham on Saturday, the first time Mikel Arteta’s side had netted three goals in a game in 16 matches.
Arteta pulled Saka off at halftime to protect the England winger, who has been managing an Achilles problem in recent months, after all three goals had gone in.
With Tuesday’s home leg against Atletico Madrid in mind, Arteta is chasing a second Champions League final in the club’s history.
The tie sits at 1-1 following a first leg in Madrid where penalty calls set the tone.
Both teams converted penalties, but Arsenal believed they were denied a second spot kick when Eberechi Eze was brought down in the area.
Saka played a part in that sequence, and coming off the bench helped shift momentum, with Arsenal ending the first leg on top.
The 24-year-old recently signed a four-year extension that is reported to make him Arsenal’s highest-paid player.
A serious hamstring injury sidelined Saka for three months last season, and he’s been working to recapture his best level since returning.
Arteta is counting on the winger being physically and mentally fresh to help end Arsenal’s trophy drought.
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) May 3, 2026
Saka sharp and influential
Saka’s pace and precise cross created an easy finish for Gyokeres, who tapped into an empty net to calm Arsenal early against Fulham.
Gyokeres returned the favor with a pass that found Saka, who cut in and fired low into the corner for his 10th goal of a season hampered by injury.
“He certainly made a difference. He made two actions that decided the game, and we know what he's capable of,” said Arteta.
"He's come back in the most important period of the season, and now he's fresh.
"His mind is fresh, his hunger is at the highest possible height, and I think he needed a performance like that to impact the team, so that's a big platform for Tuesday.”
Robert Pires featured in the only Arsenal squad to previously make a Champions League final, when they lost 2-1 to Barcelona in 2006.
The French winger became a club icon in north London for his role in two Premier League titles under Arsene Wenger, and he thinks Saka can lift the team with his influence on the pitch.
“He's found his sharpness again, he's brought back his dribbling, his drive,” Pires said.
“When you have players like him, capable of making the difference, it already does everyone a lot of good.
"Above all, he pulls the others along, getting them to do, or at least try to do, what he does.”
Arsenal’s defense has been the foundation of their run, letting in only six goals across 13 Champions League matches and pushing them within reach of the final.
With that platform set, the focus turns to Saka, the “star-boy” for Arsenal fans, to deliver the creativity needed to send the Gunners to Budapest next month.
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