Ian Ladyman anticipates that Bukayo Saka will glean valuable lessons from the criticism he is currently facing following the controversy surrounding his perceived dive during Arsenal’s match against Bayern Munich.
In a crucial moment of the Champions League fixture, Saka found himself clean through on goal with only Manuel Neuer to beat. However, instead of attempting to score, Saka appeared to initiate contact with Neuer before falling to the ground, leading to calls for a penalty that was ultimately not awarded by the referee.
The decision not to award the penalty surprised many observers, and as replays of the incident circulated, opinions shifted, with a growing consensus that Saka should have focused on scoring rather than seeking a penalty.
Ladyman suggests that the widespread discussion and scrutiny surrounding Saka’s actions will prompt him to reflect on his conduct and approach in future games. As his actions continue to be scrutinized globally, Ladyman believes that Saka will reconsider his approach and strive to make more judicious decisions in similar situations moving forward.
He said, as quoted by the Daily Mail:
‘Sticking with the Saka subject, I actually think that what happened on Tuesday night, in the long-term, will be a good thing for Saka and that starts on Sunday.
‘The reason I say that is because he is a young lad, a bright lad, and the attention that his act drew on Tuesday night, the fuss that has followed, the fact we are here two days later talking about it, I think will resonate with him.
‘I think it might be the first step in stopping him doing it again. For example, on Sunday, all eyes will be on him, the ref’s eyes will be on him and television’s eyes will be on him.’
Just Arsenal Opinion
Saka should have scored that goal because he had a good chance of finding the back of the net.
Hopefully, we will not regret missing the chance to win the game at home when we travel to Germany.
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