Penalty Politics: Saka Steps Up as Viktor Waits His Turn
(By The Loose Cannon – Arsenal's unlicensed truth serum)
There was a flicker of uncertainty at the Emirates on Saturday — not over the result, but over who'd be doing the honours from 12 yards. When El Hadji Malick Diouf clattered into Jurrien Timber, the red half of north London rose in unison, half-expecting Viktor Gyökeres to grab the ball like he did against Leeds.
Instead, it was Bukayo Saka, cool as ever, who tucked it under his arm, stared down the keeper, and buried Arsenal's second in a 2–0 win that felt more like a statement than a stroll.
"No, when I grabbed the ball I wanted to take it," Saka told reporters afterwards. "That's what my thoughts were in that moment."
No committee meetings, no VAR symposium, no nonsense. Just Arsenal's talisman asserting quiet authority — the same authority that's taken him to 200 Premier League appearances and a century of goal involvements before his 24th birthday.
Of course, Arteta had stirred the pot back in August when he told ESPN Brasil that Gyökeres was the "best penalty taker at the club." But football isn't laboratory science, and Saka's earned his stripes. The Swede's got the muscles, but Saka's got the nerve — and, crucially, the ball.
Asked whether he'd now reclaimed spot-kick supremacy for good, Saka smirked:
"We'll keep our conversations in the house for now."
Translation: I'm the man until someone pries it out of my hands.
GYÖKERES: THE GOALLESS GLADIATOR
Six games without a goal sounds grim on paper, but anyone actually watching knows the Swede's drought is wetter than it looks. Against West Ham, he nearly scored with a cheeky back-heel, a glancing header, and a Rice-fed near-miss — all within a half where he bullied their backline like a Scandinavian freight train in Nike boots.
Saka was the first to back him publicly:
"He's a big part of why we're winning. His goals will come. We believe in him."
You can tell this isn't lip service. The front three is working like a hydraulic press — Gyökeres dragging defenders wide, Martinelli cutting in, Saka darting between lines. The Swede might not be scoring, but he's giving Odegaard and Rice the time and space to choreograph Arsenal's symphony.
THE CAPTAIN'S SETBACK
Speaking of Odegaard — the skipper's night ended early, and not for tactical reasons. He's been withdrawn from Norway's upcoming internationals with a medial collateral ligament injury, picked up in the first half. Arsenal say he'll stay at London Colney for treatment, "aiming to return as soon as possible."
Translation, again: pray it's a Grade 1, not a Grade 3.
With four straight wins and Arteta clocking his 300th game in charge, the mood at Arsenal is good — but fragile knees and penalty pecking orders are the kind of small dramas that decide seasons.
Still, if Saturday proved anything, it's that Saka's still the ice in Arsenal's veins. He's not just taking penalties. He's taking charge.
The Loose Cannon verdict:
⚽ Saka – clinical and composed
💪 Gyökeres – goal famine, but team feast
🤕 Odegaard – hold your breath, north London
🎯 Arsenal – four wins on the spin, momentum humming again!
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