Bukayo Saka has said the hunger to win keeps him going when forced to deal with rough treatment from Premier League defenders.
Saka has starred for an Arsenal team who top the Premier League heading into Sunday’s North London derby against Tottenham, with the winger having scored 14 league goals and laid on nine assists this season.
The 22-year-old’s threat has seen him become one of the most fouled players in the Premier League, with only three players having drawn more fouls than Saka during the current campaign.
Ahead of another tough test, he has opened up on how he deals with the close attention – and often rough treatment – from opposition full-backs.
“The hunger to win keeps me going, that’s why I keep getting up,” he told The Guardian.
“I’m physically much stronger than I was four or five years ago. For each tackle I have more experience in terms of which ones to go for and which ones to jump, to try to avoid a big tackle. So I’m much smarter as well.”
Asked about his mindset when on the receiving end of an early foul, Saka added: “There are two elements. The first is that the defenders can’t do that all game. They’ll get yellow cards and then they have to stop.
“The second element is that as an attacking player you are in the team to score goals, create goals. Part of that is going to involve having to beat defender and, yeah, they’re going to try their best to stop you. But just because you get a kick, you can’t hide away and not do that. Because that’s what you are in the team to do.”
