Former defender and football pundit Jamie Carragher believes that Arsenal star Bukayo Saka has done more than Phil Foden for England, but believes the latter is a "better" player. It comes amid a battle for the pair to be involved in Gareth Southgate's team at the World Cup in Qatar next month.
Saka has enjoyed a productive start to the season with the Gunners, scoring once and assisting four times in eight Premier League appearances. It's his form, along with a number of his teammates, that has helped them reach the top of the table in the early stages of the campaign.
“He needs to win football matches on his own," manager Mikel Arteta said on the 21-year-old in August. "He needs to be living this profession: tomorrow I’m going to kill the opponent. And that’s what I want from him.
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“He has this ability now, he’s going through a place in his career and he needs to go to the next level right now. And I think he has the right environment to do it – he has the right people around him to do it and he’s very willing to do it. So that’s what we have to demand."
While Saka's form has been impressive and he is likely to be in the final squad for the World Cup, there remains questions of whether he can break into the starting side on a regular basis. The Arsenal forward is facing off against the likes of Raheem Sterling, Mason Mount and Foden for that shirt in Qatar.
The latter has been subject of much debate, especially given his recent hat-trick in the Manchester Derby at the weekend. This led to Carragher comparing the two players on Sky Sports, claiming: "Now, if you are asking me who is the better player, Phil Foden or Saka, [it's] Phil Foden.
“I was watching him for Man City, he was amazing yesterday, but I feel like Saka has actually done more in an England shirt.”
It remains to be seen who will win the battle for that starting spot when England face Iran, but the form of the table-topping duo in the next month could play a key role in how it turns out.
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