Saka delivers for England, so why all the Foden focus? | OneFootball

Bukayo Saka’s decisive England form has reopened the debate over how the national side values its most reliable performers, after another international break dominated more by reactions to Phil Foden than to the Arsenal winger’s latest moment of quality.

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Every day is a school say, or so they say.

And so it was a few short days ago, I learned the definition of the phrase “put it on a plate” has a much wider definition than those of us who grew up watching the likes of Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Robert Pires literally putting it on a plate for their Arsenal team mates.

I can forgive Lee Dixon’s slightly over effusive commentary in the aftermath of Ebere Eze’s 20-yard top bins effort for England after Phil Foden had passed the ball all of five yards to the Arsenal man.

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Dixon is; a) yes a Manchester City fan, but, having won three league titles with us over three different decades, also very much an Arsenal man and; b) he was reacting to something in the moment. And there isn’t anybody alive who hasn’t said something daft in the moment. Especially me – you wouldn’t need to dig too deep into my archive to find proof of that.

What ITV’s interviewer was playing at afterwards, though, one can only wonder – “was the pass the key?”

The pained expression on Eze’s face said more than a 1,000 words ever could.

To be clear, I don’t necessarily think there’s anything more sinister going on here than the media being so desperate for Phil Foden to do well in an England shirt, they’ll go over the top about anything he does well.

Even it happens to be a pass I feel quite confident I could have made.

It does highlight something I said a few weeks back though, which was about how Bukayo Saka has normalised excellence, to the point where nobody really talks about it. Of course, in the same game Eze hit the top corner without breaking stride, Bukayo Saka found himself a little space in the corner of a crowded penalty area and volleyed the ball into the far corner as if it were the easiest thing in the world.

Two wonderful England goals, both scored by Arsenal players, but all we ended up hearing about was a 5 yard pass from 2024 Footballer of the Year Phil Foden.

Odd.

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Similarly, I have always found it a little odd that Bukayo Saka continues to be viewed a little askance by the footballing world outside of London, N5.

Yes, there is such a thing, believe me I’ve checked.

Here is a 24-year-old, who, since breaking into a – let’s be honest – pretty poor Arsenal side as a 17-year-old, has spearheaded Arsenal’s return to relevance. He’s done so playing in a variety of positions, always with a smile on his face and carries himself in such a way as to be a credit to both his club and his country.

Saka has just passed 100 goal involvements for Arsenal in just over 200 games and has 14 goals in 48 England games.

He has, for both Thomas Tuchel and, before him Gareth Southgate, become an England essential.

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And yet, there seems to be a constant campaign to oust the Ealing boy from the national team. I remember as far back as the Euros four years ago, Jurgen Klinsmann speaking of his amazement that Jadon Sancho (ha!) couldn’t get in the England team ahead of Saka.

Saka is one year younger than 2024 Footballer of the Year Phil Foden (47 England appearances, four goals) and has made himself indispensable in a way Foden has singularly failed to and what’s his reward? It’s commentators getting all excited about the shiny new Cole Palmer on the block and wanting to bin a player their eyes should tell them is one of England’s best.

To be clear, I’m not saying it’s racism, but I do think that whilst Saka is obviously well regarded, I’m not sure he quite commands the same levels of respect from the football watching world – or at least, the people paid to talk about football for a living – that someone like Foden does.

After all, Phil Foden has been part of a team who won the Treble, then followed up with an incredible title defence, pipping us to the league title by two points. What does Saka have by way of comparison? An FA Cup win he didn’t even get on the pitch for over five years ago (how mad does that seem now?) and three second place finishes.

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I was chatting to some Arsenal mates recently about comparisons between Declan Rice and Patrick Vieira. Finally, we have a centre mid worth the comparison to our former skipper. Now, I’m biased, the Frenchman is my favourite Arsenal player of all time, but he’s also the captain of the Invincibles.

Perhaps I’m being harsh, but until Declan wins a league title, or perhaps surpasses the Frenchman by helping us to a maiden Champions League title (imagine!), I’m not interested in any viewpoint that puts Rice above Vieira. And I say that as someone who thinks that Deccers is not only a phenomenal footballer, but a top quality human being too – seriously, I love him.

But he has to win something here – really, they all do.

It’s not fair.

Of course, Bukayo deserves to be regarded, not just alongside 2024 Footballer of the Year Phil Foden, but – I would argue – above him. However, I suspect that until we start putting the trophies on the sideboard and Bukayo starts adding some medals to his mantel, he is going to be regarded as someone who absolutely lives up to the Yoruba meaning of his first name, “bringer of joy”, but without “international assassin” aura of someone like a Thierry Henry, whose achievements in North London over 20 years ago command so much respect today.

With the North London Derby coming at the weekend, let’s hope Saka’s sights are well trained…