As Bukayo Saka stepped up to take the penalty against Chelsea there was genuine fear inside me. Of course, it is natural to be scared when your team has a spot-kick, the thought of it being missed is too painful to consider but it is all that fills your mind as the player steps up to take it.
Arsenal forward Saka however, at still such the young age of 20, has more reason to be fearful of that fateful spot kick than anyone else. The European Championships saw Gareth Southgate have the then-teenager take what would be England’s final kick.
You know what happened and are probably all too aware of the disgusting response that followed. So when the ball hit the back of the net at Stamford Bridge the weight lifted from Saka’s shoulders was massive.
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Amazingly, another penalty fell to Saka in the 3-1 win over Manchester United. Saka saw a comparatively similar challenge for the second successive penalty as he put the spot-kick in the opposite direction to the keeper again.
Interestingly though this has given Saka a puzzle he needs to solve. Mikel Arteta confirmed that Saka now has the Arsenal responsibilities from the penalty spot should the side win another.
“Tomorrow if someone has to take a penalty, I think he will take it again. Hopefully, he can continue to put the ball in the net,” Arteta said.
David De Gea who dove in the direction that Saka put his penalty against Chelsea likely felt the inexperienced penalty-taker would put faith in the direction he converted at Stamford Bridge. Saka though decided to show he can convert on either side.
The question for Saka is does he continue to alternate or mix up the order and repeat the Man United effort? If he is to become the long-term penalty taker for the team, he needs to ensure he makes them as unpredictable as possible.
This might seem obvious but the amount of work done behind the scenes with goalkeeping coaches on opposition penalty takers would suggest the effort needed to win the mental battle should be significant. Next for Saka is improving execution.
Both penalties he has taken have judged the keeper’s dive direction correctly. He is yet to score when the goalie goes the same way as his strike.
Harry Kane has scored his fair number of penalties, especially against Arsenal. The England captain often scores despite the keeper’s attempts to follow the ball, Saka needs to add this finesse to his own tries.
Perhaps the North London Derby will be the next time a penalty is given for the Gunners? Arsenal supporters will be hoping that Saka does a better job than his predecessor Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who famously missed a late penalty at Wembley at a crucial point of the season.
