BUKAYO SAKA "LIKES' POST THOMAS TUCHEL A 'FRAUD' AFTER ENGLAND HAT-TRICK VS FRANCE

 

Bukayo Saka was at the heart of England’s 6-4 victory over France as he netted a hat-trick as Thomas Tuchel’s squad secured third place in the 2026 World Cup.

At half-time it appeared the Three Lions would waltz their way to the bronze medals as they were leading 4-0, thanks to goals from Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa, and a brace from Saka.

While we had been treated to some entertaining action in this clash, at least from an England point of view, in the first half, it would truly kick into gear when France got on the scoresheet.

The French would make it 4-3 before the hydration break, with Bradley Barcola’s goal being sandwiched between a Kylian Mbappe brace; Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot before Ousmane Dembele made it 5-4, and finally, in the 98th minute, Jude Bellingham would complete the scoring and earn the win for England.

It was a memorable performance for Saka in this clash; however, following the match, it appears his account liked a post saying Tuchel is ‘on fraud watch’, as the post praised the performance of three Arsenal players in the clash with France.

The post from albertsairpods said: “We really walked away with a Bukayo Saka World Cup hat-trick. Against France. You just escaped the nastiest public humiliation ritual. The cultural capital of six Arsenal G/A with zero injuries has decreased your punishment to a mere spanking. You’re still on fraud watch.”

However, it now appears that Saka’s account has now removed the like on this post that was critical of Tuchel, especially when there were questions around the future of the German as England manager after their World Cup semi-final defeat.

Thomas Tuchel’s future as England boss

The Champions League-winning manager faced serious questions after England’s defeat to Argentina due to his tactical decisions after the withdrawal of Anthony Gordon.

The Three Lions would suffer a 2-1 defeat with Marc Guehi being critical of Tuchel’s tactical approach, while several pundits were also outspoken about whether the German should remain in this managerial role.

Tuchel had been given a contract extension ahead of the World Cup, which would see him remain in charge until the completion of the 2028 European Championships.

Despite several loud calls for Tuchel to leave his managerial role with England, the FA appear to have given the German their full backing, believing he is the man to lead the team to silverware.

England’s performance in the third-place playoff with France will have only helped strengthen this belief as they secured the bronze medal in a thrilling 10-goal contest.

Featured Image Credit: Getty Images

- Brendan McGilligan

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THIERRY HENRY LIFTS LID ON PRIVATE TALKS WITH ARSENAL STAR AFTER ATLÉTICO MADRID WIN

Thierry Henry has given an insight into Bukayo Saka's condition in the lead-up to the semi-final second leg

Thierry Henry has revealed the private injury messages he shared with Bukayo Saka ahead of Arsenal's Champions League semi-final victory over Atletico Madrid.

Saka scored the only goal as the Gunners sealed a 2-1 aggregate win at a raucous Emirates Stadium. The 24-year-old, who has had an Achilles issue, only returned to action against Fulham on Saturday, scoring the second goal before being withdrawn at half-time.

After scoring the crucial goal against Atleti, he was taken off just before the hour mark. Post-match, Henry revealed the private chats he's been having with Saka and how he is still struggling fitness-wise.

Speaking on US broadcaster CBS, Henry said: "I would love to see if we can speak to Bukayo because I want him to explain to people that being a footballer is not always about the glamorous times.

"He's been questioned all season. Can he be the guy? Is he not the guy? Is he the star boy? Is he not the star boy? Is he better than him or not better than him?

"Today, he had to play with barely any training. I know he's suffering with his Achilles tendon. I spoke to him and he came back and was like, 'I've got to be on the pitch. I've got to be on the pitch against Fulham. I have to be. It's do or die.'

"So you have to give those guys a lot of credit. Sometimes we take it for granted. We all played through injuries. We all played with moments where you're not 100% and he had to do it, deliver it for Arsenal."

Henry did get to speak Saka and said: "I know what you went through the whole season, I know what you had to endure, what you were listening to from people.

"And what you had to do to be on that field, not only today but also against Fulham. Can you explain the pain, physically and mentally, to be able to reach a final?"

Saka declined to go into details but thanked Henry for his support. The Hale End graduate said: "It's not the moment. I don't want to say I'm struggling or make people feel sorry for me. As soon as I step onto that pitch, I have to be ready for the critics if I don't perform.

"But I'm very happy today. I've been speaking to you throughout the season. You've been there for me. You know what it's been like but today's a very special moment."

- Mark Whiley

BUKAYO SAKA REACTS TO REACHING CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL | FULL POST-MATCH INTERVIEW | UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

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ARSENAL'S WAGE BILL BLOWS CHELSEA'S AWAY AS STAGGERING AMOUNT BOTH SIDES SPEND COMPARED

Arsenal spend significantly more on wages than Chelsea as the Gunners prepare to face their London rivals

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been backed by the club financially(Image: Mike Hewitt, Getty Images)

Arsenal have certainly supported Mikel Arteta financially as the club attempt to end their wait for a Premier League title. The Gunners held a five-point lead at the top of the table following their commanding 4-1 victory in the north London derby last weekend.

It proved a timely result for Arsenal, not merely to secure bragging rights over Spurs but also to deliver the ideal response following their frustrating draw to Wolves. The side faced criticism after surrendering a two-goal lead, increasing scrutiny on the league leaders.

While Arteta is aiming to end a 22-year title drought, there is a degree of expectation that Arsenal should seal the league title this term, especially as other challengers have stumbled. As the club prepare to meet Chelsea on Sunday, there's little question that the Gunners have supported the manager through the salaries that they are prepared to pay compared to their upcoming opponents.

Arsenal's wage bill is reportedly the second-highest in the division, trailing only Manchester City. This indicates that Arsenal spend more on wages than Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea, despite the latter being regarded as having a larger squad.

It was recently confirmed that Bukayo Saka had signed a lucrative new contract. It has been reported by football.london that the deal makes him the club's highest-paid player on £300,000 per week, with Arsenal further extending the wage gap to the teams beneath them and heightening the pressure on the club to finally secure the Premier League title.

Spotrac previously stated that Arsenal spent £189,956,000 annually on wages for their first team squad. However, Saka's salary rise from £195,000 per week represents an additional £5.46million, bringing the revised total to £195.416million.

This figure substantially exceeds Chelsea's estimated wage bill of £153.296m, which ranks fifth in the Premier League, trailing Liverpool (£176.8m) and Manchester United (£167.492m) as well. The club embrace a more youth-oriented approach towards recruitment, resulting in lower salaries than Arsenal.

Based on Spotrac data, Chelsea captain Reece James stands as the club's highest-paid player on £250,000 weekly. Wesley Fofana is the only other Chelsea player claimed to be collecting a weekly wage of £200,000 or above.

Conversely, Arsenal have multiple players, including Saka, who receive more than Chelsea's leading earner. Kai Havertz (£280,000) and Gabriel Jesus (£265,000) earn larger salaries than James, while William Saliba (£250,000), Declan Rice (£240,000) and Martin Odegaard (£240,000) collect the same or marginally less than the Chelsea captain.

Bukayo Saka and Reece James are reportedly the top earners at their respective clubs(Image: Matteo Ciambelli/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

In total, seven Arsenal players pocket £200,000 per week or above, compared to just two at Chelsea. Meanwhile, Moises Caicedo and Cole Palmer rank among Chelsea's best performers, yet both sit outside the club's five highest-paid stars, earning weekly wages of £150,000 and £130,000 respectively.

Only Man City are reported to outspend Arsenal on wages, with Spotrac recording their annual salary expenditure at £248.835m. Erling Haaland's earnings far exceed those of his teammates, with an estimated weekly salary of £525,000.

However, City's second-highest earner Bernardo Silva commands the same reported wages as Saka's new contract, with Omar Marmoush narrowly trailing the Portuguese midfielder on £295,000. Highlighting the contrasting pay structures between Pep Guardiola's squad and Chelsea, John Stones, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Ruben Dias and January recruit Marc Guehi all pocket the same wages as James.

While there is also a considerable gulf between City and Arsenal's spending, it does highlight that the Gunners are among the best-placed clubs financially to mount a challenge to City's supremacy in recent years. Saka's new deal demonstrates that Arsenal are prepared to offer elite-level wages and the club can begin turning ambition into reality by clinching silverware this season.

- Jake Bayliss

BUKAYO SAKA WITH GABI JESUS' DAUGHTER AFTER BEATING ASTON VILLA 4-1

 

MERINO & SAKA SCORE! | ARSENAL 2-0 BRENTFORD

 

BUKAYO SAKA STATS AGAINST THE BIG SIX

 

SLAVIA PRAGUE 0-3 ARSENAL; HIGHLIGHTS, MAN OF THE MATCH, STATS AS 122-YEAR-OLD RECORD EQUALLED IN MERINO MASTERCLASS

Arsenal equalled an astonishing 122-year-old clean sheet record and Mikel Merino produced an attacking masterclass in a 3-0 Champions League league-phase victory away to Slavia Prague.

There was little to write home about on Arsenal's end during the first 30 minutes, where their Czech hosts showed a few glimpses of attacking promise, but nothing that would truly trouble David Raya.

However, the customary dead-ball Gunners goal arrived just past the half-hour mark via a Bukayo Saka penalty, before auxiliary striker Mikel Merino doubled the visitors' lead just 36 seconds into the second half.

The former Real Sociedad man then harnessed his aerial prowess to double his tally and bag Arsenal's third of the night, before the Gunners preserved their customary clean sheet thanks to a late Slavia spot kick being overturned on review.

Tuesday's result means that Arsenal have now kept eight straight clean sheets in all tournaments for just the second time in their history, after managing to do so as Woolwich Arsenal in 1903.

Ahead of the 8pm kickoffs, Mikel Arteta's side are now sitting pretty in first place in the 36-team league-phase table with a perfect 12 points from 12, while Jindrich Trpisovsky's Slavia sit 30th and are still searching for their first win

SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT.

No Martin Odegaard. No Viktor Gyokeres. No Martin Zubimendi. No Gabriel Martinelli. No Kai Havertz. No Gabriel Jesus. No Noni Madueke.

No. Problem.

It has been said and will continue to be said for as long as Arsenal are on this magnificent run, but the Gunners' squad depth truly is something to behold, as the majestic Merino demonstrated in the second half tonight.

The Spaniard has sometimes looked awkward and out of place when starting as Arteta's focal point, but when he channels his inner number nine, he is a marvellous presence inside the penalty area and took his two goals with aplomb in Prague.

Arsenal did not have it all their own way in the opening phases of the game, but they did what they do better than anyone else during their slow first half hour - restrict the opposition from having a single shot on target.

Arteta's momentum train is running at full throttle ahead of Bayern Munich later this month, and in this form, there is nothing to suggest that Arsenal cannot compete for a phenomenal Premier League and Champions League double.

BUKAYO SAKA SETS CHAMPIONS LEAGUE RECORD NOT EVEN THIERRY HENRY MANAGED AT ARSENAL

Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images

Bukayo Saka was named as the Arsenal captain as he led his side out in another Champions League tie, this time against Slavia Prague.

Mikel Arteta made four changes to his team, with a mixture of injuries, suspensions and fitness forcing a few switches.

It wasn’t the easiest of starts to the game for Arsenal, as Slavia Prague imposed their physicality on the visitors.

That all changed after the half-hour mark when Bukayo Saka opened the scoring from the penalty spot, setting a record in the process.

Bukayo Saka sets record for Arsenal players scoring away in Champions League

Arsenal can often find themselves in tight games until they manage to find a breakthrough, which was certainly the case in Prague on Tuesday night.

The Gunners struggled to find many openings until a VAR check resulted in a penalty for a handball in the box.

Bukayo Saka took the spotkick and dispatched it with ease, adding yet another goal to his tally for the season.

With that in mind, Opta claims that Saka’s goal is now the fourth consecutive away game in the Champions League that he has managed to score.

4 – Bukayo Saka is the first Arsenal player to score in four consecutive away appearances in the UEFA Champions League. Tourist. #SLPARS pic.twitter.com/1FQiCsrQyx

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 4, 2025

No other Arsenal player has managed to match that in the competition’s history, not even Thierry Henry and all the history he has created.

Those goals have come in some tough games too, finding the back of the net against Athletic Club, PSG and Real Madrid in that time.

It’s another impressive moment for Saka, who continues to be an important player for the Gunners.

Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images

Bukayo Saka is making his mark in the Champions League

While Saka has been playing at the top level for quite a while, this is only the third season he has featured in the Champions League.

Arsenal’s return to being competitive has given a platform for the winger to impress, with eight goal involvements in the first campaign, before another eight last season.

This time around, he already has two goals to his name, and there are plans to add even more in the coming weeks and months.

It’s no surprise either, given the quality of Saka, but it’s clear that the Gunners need to keep him fit for the future.

- Luke Thrower

YOUNGEST ARSENAL PLAYERS TO 100 GOAL INVOLVEMENT

 

BUKAYO SAKA COULD MISS SIX GAMES AS EXTENT OF ARSENAL WINGER'S HAMSTRING INJURY 'REVEALED'

Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka is expected to miss up to four weeks with the hamstring injury he sustained in Saturday's 5-0 win over Leeds United, according to a report.

The 23-year-old got off the mark for the new season in the weekend's visit of the Whites, producing a brilliant finish into the top corner from a tight angle after Jurrien Timber had broken the deadlock.

However, Saka then pulled up early in the second half after sprinting with the ball, and he was seen holding the back of his thigh while in conversation with the physio.

The England international cast a sombre expression as he trudged off the field, and Mikel Arteta admitted at full time that the Hale End graduate asking to come off was not a good sign.

On a slightly more positive note, Arteta confirmed that Saka's latest issue was on the opposite leg to the one he sustained a severe hamstring tear last season, which sidelined him for three months.

Saka out for Liverpool clash as Martin Odegaard injury update revealed

According to BBC Sport, Saka's hamstring injury will keep him out of action for up to four weeks, meaning that the 23-year-old could miss as many as six matches for club and country.

Arsenal will have to cope without Saka for Sunday's trip to Premier League champions Liverpool - their final game before the international break - while he will also be unavailable for England's World Cup 2026 qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia.

Saka should also sit out the Gunners' home fixture with Nottingham Forest (September 13) and potentially the visit of Manchester City (September 21), as well as the trip to Newcastle United on September 28.

However, captain Martin Odegaard has not yet been ruled out of the clash with the Reds this weekend, despite picking up a shoulder problem in the first half of the victory over Daniel Farke's side.

The Norway international reportedly left the stadium with his arm in a sling, and his in-store signing event at The Armoury on Monday was postponed, but he is only a doubt for the trip to Merseyside at present.

How Arsenal can replace Saka after hamstring injury

Even before Saka made his way off the pitch on Saturday, his face told the story of a man who knew a spell on the sidelines was coming, although the issue is far less severe than the one he suffered in December 2024.

Saka's absence last season gave Ethan Nwaneri the chance to shine on the right-hand side of the attack, but the 18-year-old is now being trialled in a central role, so Noni Madueke is the number one candidate to step in for Saka.

The ex-Chelsea man has largely played off the left for Arsenal so far, but with Eberechi Eze, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard available on that side, Madueke can be expected to line up on the right for the next few weeks.

Saka's loss should also be Max Dowman's gain, as the 15-year-old - who became the second-youngest player to make a Premier League appearance on Saturday - will now be Arteta's second-choice right-winger behind Madueke.

Both Madueke and Dowman have shown flashes of their potential in their short time on the pitch this season, so while Saka's latest problem is a setback, it is by no means as devastating this time around thanks to Arsenal's strength in numbers.

- Ben Knapton

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HOW ARSENAL'S NEW BOYS PERFORMED ON DEBUT - INCLUDING A 15-YEAR-OLD WONDERKID

Mikel Arteta handed out numerous debuts as Arsenal made a winning start to their pre-season tour

Norgaard, Zubimendi and Dowman all featured against AC Milan (Photos@ Getty)

Arsenal 1-0 AC Milan (Saka 53′)

Arsenal made a winning start to their pre-season tour against AC Milan in Singapore with a few new faces given their first runouts by Mikel Arteta.

Bukayo Saka scored the game’s only goal with a scuffed volley at the back post from Jakub Kiwior’s searching cross, before the Gunners were beaten 6-5 on penalties in a pre-arranged post-match shootout.

Three of Arsenal’s summer signings were involved, with Christian Norgaard starting and Kepa Arrizabalaga and Martin Zubimendi brought on at half-time. A few promising academy prospects also featured in the second half.

Arteta will soon have other newcomers to integrate.

Christian Mosquera is in the Far East to complete his move from Valencia and could feature against Newcastle or Tottenham, while Arsenal hope to have Viktor Gyokeres join them on tour once his protracted move from Sporting Lisbon has been finalised.

Noni Madueke has been given an extended break after featuring for Chelsea at the Club World Cup.

Zubimendi catches the eye

The introductions of Zubimendi and Martin Odegaard at the break, alongside Declan Rice, gave Arsenal fans a first look at what is likely to be a first-choice midfield next season.

Zubimendi offers more playmaking qualities than Arsenal have had recently in the No 6 role, but he also possesses the defensive nous to protect the back four.

The 26-year-old ranked ninth in La Liga for combined tackles and interceptions last season and offered glimpses of those ball-winning capabilities in Kallang.

He was well-positioned to disrupt Milan counters, nicking the ball off Rafael Leao within minutes of coming on as Milan’s main man slalomed towards goal after a turnover.

Later on, he dispossessed Leao again, staying alive and alert to win the ball inside his own box. He looks well suited to Arsenal’s high press, too, shuttling crab-like to close down space in the opponents’ half.

It was a polished performance on the ball pockmarked by various line-breaking passes. He even scored a penalty, calmly sending Milan’s impressive No 2 Lorenzo Torriani the wrong way in a pre-arranged post-match shootout.

An encouraging first outing from the £52m buy.

Neat and tidy Norgaard

Adapting to playing for a team that had the third-highest possession share in the Premier League last season, from one that was 15th, will determine whether or not the Dane is a success in north London.

There were a couple of stray passes, but generally, he was accomplished on the ball (if less so than Zubimendi) and looked to punch balls into the forwards.

With Arsenal controlling much of the first half, he had plenty of the ball and operated higher up the pitch than he tended to for Brentford.

Norgaard played the first-half against AC Milan (Photo: AP)

He could even have registered a debut assist, after Ethan Nwaneri’s stinging drive from his pass forced a smart stop on the stretch from Pietro Terracciano.

Another facet of Norgaard’s game that has perhaps been overlooked is his aerial ability. According to WhoScored, Norgaard won 52 aerial duels last season, the third-most among Premier League central midfielders.

The six-footer made a headed clearance from a Milan corner later in the half and his presence could help Arsenal improve their defensive set-piece record.

The Gunners let in 14 set-piece goals in the league last season; Brentford conceded just two.

A clean sheet for Kepa

Signed to provide competition for David Raya, Kepa will be pleased to have kept his first clean sheet in Arsenal colours.

It was a largely stress-free half for the ex-Chelsea keeper, especially considering he played most of it behind a back four containing two 18-year-olds and a 15-year-old.

His best moment was getting his positioning and handling spot on to gather in a Leao shot from range, before immediately springing to his feet to set an Arsenal counter in motion with a throw.

Kepa may have had little to do in regulation time, but he was in inspired form in the penalty shootout, matching Torriani by making three saves from the first five kicks, all of which were down to his left.

He has always backed himself in shootouts, to be fair.

Teenage kicks

Besides the newcomers, Arsenal supporters will have been eager to see a few of the club’s youngsters get some game time.

There is plenty of hype around the 15-year-old Max Dowman, who is eligible to play Premier League football next season.

A left-footed attacking midfielder, Dowman slotted in on Saka’s right flank and looked remarkably composed given his inexperience.

Dowman impressed on his Arsenal debut (Photo: Reuters)

There is a touch of early Jack Wilshere about Dowman, with his low centre of gravity, direct dribbles and silky touch.

The schoolboy kept his cool in the shootout, succeeding where Odegaard, Reiss Nelson and Kiwior hadn’t by netting from 12 yards. Expect to see much more of him over the next few years.

Marli Salmon, another 15-year-old, also looked assured at centre-back, while 18-year-old right-back Josh Nichols produced some exciting bits of skill. Nichols also scored a penalty, although Salmon blazed his over with Milan winning the shootout with the next kick.

Hale End graduates Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly both broke into Arteta’s first-team plans last term, and judging by the displays of Dowman, Salmon and Nichols, more will follow before long.

- Oliver Young-Myles

BUKAYO SAKA REVEALS CHAT WITH ARSENAL LEGEND ON DAY OF FAMOUS REAL MADRID WIN

Gunners winger has also explained his goal celebration that evoked memories of Thierry Henry’s heroics at the Bernabeu

ARSENAL HERO: BUKAYO SAKA WAS ONE OF THE STARS OF THE SHOW AS THE GUNNERS BEAT REAL MADRID AGAIN AT THE BERNABEU

Bukayo Saka has revealed that he spoke to Thierry Henry on the morning of Arsenal’s latest famous victory over Real Madrid, but insists he did not deliberately evoke his famous Bernabeu goal celebration.

Saka set the Gunners on their way to a second successive victory over the current Champions League holders on Wednesday evening, atoning for his early Panenka penalty attempt that was easily saved by Thibaut Courtois as he executed a brilliant lofted finish to put Mikel Arteta’s side ahead on the night and stretch their commanding aggregate lead in the quarter-final tie.

Arsenal eventually won 2-1 in Spain after Gabriel Martinelli’s stoppage-time effort that followed Vinicius Jr quickly responding to Saka’s opener after a blunder from William Saliba, completing an emphatic 5-1 victory overall after Declan Rice had produced two stunning free-kicks to inspire an initial 3-0 first-leg success at the Emirates Stadium last week.

Paris Saint-Germain now stand between them and a place in the Champions League final at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena on May 31, after the reigning French champions just snuck past Aston Villa on Tuesday night despite a rousing second-half fightback that saw Unai Emery’s men win 3-2 on the night but go down 5-4 on aggregate.

Barcelona meet Inter Milan in the other semi-final tie after their respective wins over German giants Borussia Dortmund and Bayern.

Saka was once again one of Arsenal’s star performers against Madrid as he made up for his missed penalty with a superb goal and afterwards revealed that he had spoken to club icon Henry ahead of the game.

Asked on CBS Sports if he planned a post-match FaceTime with the French legend - part of the interview as a pundit - Saka said: "100 per cent. I spoke to him this morning already but if he wants to speak again later, I'm going to be up. I'm not going to sleep tonight, let's be real."

Arsenal are the first English team ever to win twice at the Bernabeu, having become the first ever to do it in the Champions League back in the last 16 of the 2005/06 season, when Henry’s second-half goal sealed a 1-0 first-leg victory in Madrid.

A goalless second-leg draw at Highbury then sent the Gunners through and they later beat Juventus and Villarreal before losing in agonising fashion to Barcelona in their first and only Champions League final appearance to date in Paris.

Saka’s “shushing” reaction after scoring on Wednesday was the same as Henry produced at the Bernabeu 19 years ago, with the England winger posting pictures of the two celebrations side-by-side on Instagram after the game.

And while he certainly appreciated the symmetry, Saka insisted he did not deliberately replicate Henry after his own memorable moment at one of European football’s most iconic venues.

"To be fair, not really,” he said. “I just wanted to have my own moment, but of course Thierry has done the same here and it's nice that we can share this picture. It's nice."

- ADAM DAVY/PA WIRE

REAL MADRID 1-2 ARSENAL | BUKAYO SAKA REACTION | THIERRY HENRY & CO ANALYSIS

 

REAL MADRID MEME 😂

 

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