Martin Ødegaard has praised Bukayo Saka’s form for Arsenal this season as the London club prepare to face Chelsea in the Premier League on 6 September.
The Norway attacking midfielder shared his assessment of the England winger’s performances ahead of the derby, saying: “Saka approached this season in excellent form.”
Saka scored the winning goal in Arsenal’s most recent league match, a 1-0 victory over Aston Villa in the second round of the Premier League.
That result ensured Arsenal began the campaign with two wins from two matches. Chelsea have also taken maximum points from their opening two league fixtures, meaning both London clubs will enter the derby with identical records at the start of the season.
The meeting between Arsenal and Chelsea will take place on 6 September, with the two sides looking to continue their unbeaten openings to the Premier League campaign. Arsenal’s result against Aston Villa was decided by Saka, who provided the only goal of the match.
Ødegaard’s comments focus on the winger’s condition at the beginning of the season and come before a fixture between two teams who have each won their first two games. Saka’s contribution against Aston Villa has placed him at the centre of the build-up to the derby, after his goal secured Arsenal’s narrow victory.
For Arsenal, the match against Chelsea follows a second-round success in which their attacking player made the decisive difference. Although the scoreline was 1-0, Saka’s goal was enough to give Arsenal another three points and maintain their perfect start.
Chelsea go into the same fixture with two victories of their own. The opening record of both clubs means the derby brings together two teams who have made winning starts in the Premier League.
The match also provides the next opportunity for Saka to continue the form Ødegaard has highlighted. The Arsenal winger has already influenced the campaign directly by scoring against Aston Villa, while Ødegaard’s comments underline the Norwegian’s positive view of his team-mate’s early performances.
With both Arsenal and Chelsea having won twice, the 6 September meeting will be the next chapter in their respective starts to the season. Arsenal will seek another positive result after the 1-0 win against Aston Villa, while Chelsea arrive with the same record after their opening two Premier League matches.