Bukayo Saka’s poor away goalscoring record in 2023 continued on match week 16 of the 2023/24 Premier League season after Arsenal slipped to a 1-0 defeat against high-flying Aston Villa.
Saka has struggled to find the back of the net away from the Emirates Stadium this calendar year which admittedly, is a huge surprise considering how talented he is.
Here at SportsLens, we take a look back at Saka’s 2023 journey on the road and try to determine just why he has a poor away goalscoring record.
Bukayo Saka’s Overall 2023 Record
Bukayo Saka’s overall 2023 record makes for very good reading. The Arsenal star has featured in 48 games across all club competitions and has netted 16 times and provided 16 assists. He also scored his first career hat-trick in England’s Euro 2024 qualifying 7-0 rout against North Macedonia in June.
Arguably the Gunners finest and most important player, Saka has set many records and hit various milestones in 2023. Against Luton Town, he made his 200th appearance for the club and also scored Arsenal’s 100th goal of 2023 against Wolves. He is the only player alongside Harry Kane to score or assist against every Premier League club he has faced. So far, Saka has faced 25 different teams in England’s elite.
Furthermore, no player has more assists than Saka in the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League so far this season and he also set a new club-record of featuring in 87 successive top-flight games, with that run ending in October 2023. That is no easy feat with the number of injuries players generally entertain in modern football. It’s fair to suggest that overall, Saka has been brilliant in 2023.
Bukayo Saka’s 2023 Away Form
Bukayo Saka’s poor away goalscoring record in 2023 is something of a mystery, especially when he has achieved so much and contributed to Arsenal‘s continued quest for Premier League glory. Even a hardened Tottenham Hotspur fan will have to admit just how brilliant Saka is, but why hasn’t he done it on the road in 2023? It is rather baffling.
So far, Saka has netted just twice in 24 appearances across all competitions away from home. It just doesn’t sound right, does it? Nonetheless, it is a fact the 22-year old will have to get used to but it is a fact he can start changing before the year is out. His one away goal in 2023/24 came at the Vitality Stadium against Bournemouth in September. Prior to that, he last netted on the road in a 4-2 Premier League win against Aston Villa in February.
Saka has of course, failed to find the net away from home in the UEFA Champions League this season and his last goal on the road in European football came back in October 2022, netting against Bodø/Glimt in the UEFA Europa League group stages. Saka has just three more away games in 2023; PSV Eindhoven, Liverpool and Fulham.
What Next For Bukayo Saka?
The answer to Bukayo Saka‘s poor away form isn’t easy but the solution is to keep trying. Keep plugging away. Keep doing what he knows he can do best and for sure, the goals away from the Emirates will start adding up. Some of the world’s finest players entertain goal droughts and there can be a range of factors that dictate barren spells, but a lot of the time it can be coincidence and bad luck.
Saka’s next away game comes against PSV in the UEFA Champions League, with the best UK betting sites making the Dutch side the match favourites at 31/20, the draw 54/19 and Arsenal 7/4. Although he maybe rested with the Gunners safely through to the Round of 16, he’ll want to be at his very best in case he is called upon by boss Mikel Arteta.
There’s just two Premier League away games left for Saka in 2023; Liverpool and Fulham. The Reds have won every single home game this season across all competitions and Fulham have scored 13 goals across their last three top flight games. If Saka is to rediscover his goalscoring touch on the road, Anfield and Craven Cottage will be fine venues to do so in.
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