Sporting Lisbon defender Jerry St. Juste believes he will come up against "the two best wingers in Europe" when they take on Arsenal in the Europa League.
Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli have excelled on the flanks for the Gunners this term, each scoring 11 times to sit joint top of the club's scoring charts. Their efforts have helped make the north London outfit surprise title hopefuls as they look to end a wait for a league success that dates back to 2004.
The two youngsters have long been touted for big things, but this year they have both truly unlocked their potential. Their next assignment is helping Arsenal reach the last eight in the Europa League as they gear up for a two-legged tie against one of Portugal's leading outfits.
One of their opponent's defenders knows exactly what to expect when they clash on Thursday, having been quizzed on whether the duo are at the top of their game: "Yeah, I think so. They have a lot of quality and they prove that weekly at the highest level so it’s going to be an exciting challenge."
Saka is a product of the Arsenal academy and has been on the rise since he was handed his debut back when Unai Emery was in charge. Martinelli meanwhile was signed as an unknown teenager from his native Brazil and has gone from strength to strength.
Jurgen Klopp is among those to greatly admire Martinelli, who recently signed a new deal at the Emirates. After coming up against him the German declared: "Martinelli’s pretty much the same age but he’s a talent of the century, he’s an incredible striker, so it’s really difficult."
Mikel Arteta has been able to coach the pair through some difficult times but is now watching them produce an incredibly high level. The Spanish coach has paid tribute to their appetite to improve as both Martinelli and Saka enjoy their best seasons to date.
He said: “We try to help them with our way of playing to get them in those positions as much as possible. They are so willing to learn, they’re asking for more and more every day. They never have enough information, they always want more. When you have that, and you have the talent and the ideas that they have, good things will happen."
Whilst the Gunners have secured Martinelli's long-term future, Saka is yet to be tied down. Discussions have been ongoing for months but the Brazilian is confident his team-mate will stay put: “I will be happy because he is a very, very good player, one of the best young players in the world. He is at his house, you know. Arsenal is his home and for sure he is happy. And we will be happy as well if he stays and signs a new deal."
