Arteta reveals whether Bukayo Saka will take another penalty this season

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has made it clear that he will not change the designated penalty taker from Bukayo Saka, despite the 21-year-old missing a crucial penalty in their Sunday 2-2 draw with West Ham United. The young winger had been in fine form for the Gunners this season, but his miss from the spot proved costly as Arsenal dropped two points in their pursuit of the Premier League title.

Despite this setback, Arteta has shown faith in Saka and believes that he is still the best player to take penalties for Arsenal. “If I had to pick one player to do it, it would be him again,” said Arteta as per The Mirror. “In that moment we missed it and this is football.”

Arsenal are currently leading the Premier League table with 74 points after 31 games, but they are closely followed by second-placed Manchester City, who have 70 points plus a game in hand. With just seven games left to play, every point will be crucial in deciding who will be crowned champions at the end of the season.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta (right) and Bukayo Saka during a training session at the Arsenal Training Centre, Hertfordshire. Picture date: Wednesday November 2, 2022. (Photo by John Walton/PA Images via Getty Images)

Saka’s miss against West Ham was a rare blip in what has been an impressive season for him so far. He has scored 12 goals and provided 10 assists in the Premier League for Arsenal this season and has been one of their standout performers.

Arteta’s decision to stick with Saka as his designated penalty taker shows that he has confidence in his young star and believes that he can bounce back from his miss against West Ham. It also sends a message to the rest of the team that mistakes happen, but they should not define a player’s role within the team.

Arsenal fans will be hoping that Saka can put his penalty miss behind him and continue to play a key role for them as they look to win their first Premier League title since 2004. With tough fixtures against Manchester City and Chelsea coming up, the Gunners will need all their players to be firing on all cylinders if they are to maintain their position at the top of the table.