Arsenal star Bukayo Saka lays down hilarious challenge to Chelsea’s Noni Madueke on England duty
Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka is currently on international duty with England.
Bukayo Saka is joined in the England squad by Arsenal teammate Declan Rice.
On Saturday, Lee Carsley got his interim spell in charge of the Three Lions underway with a 2-0 win over the Republic of Ireland.
Rice opened the scoring for England. However, given his connection with Ireland, the midfielder chose not to celebrate his strike. Arsenal fans have since praised Rice for this classy gesture.
England will be back in action again on Tuesday, when they will take on Finland at Wembley Stadium. Chelsea attacker Noni Madueke, who was recently called up to the senior England squad for the first time, will be hoping to make his international debut in that upcoming Nations League match.
Certainly, Mikel Arteta wouldn’t mind Saka sitting out that fixture, allowing for Madueke to take his place, as it would allow the Hale End academy graduate an extra rest ahead of the Gunners’ upcoming North London derby clash against Tottenham Hotspur.
Arsenal star Bukayo Saka sets challenge for Noni Madueke
Behind the scenes in the England camp, Saka is doing his bit to help Madueke settle into the squad. Whilst there is significantly less than a year between them in terms of age, Saka already has 41 England caps to his name, and is something of a senior figure in the squad.
In recent training footage shared by the official England YouTube channel, Saka was seen taking on Madueke in a head-to-head challenge, with them both set the task of scoring from range.
Saka was able to find the back of the net, and then could be heard joking: “Don’t be cheating… I will be having three rounds of dinner tonight, on you!”
Madueke was then able to step up and beat the goalkeeper himself.
Saka shining for club and country
At just 23-years-old, Saka has already established himself on the world stage. The attacker has 229 appearances for the Gunners under his belt, across all competitions, and has racked up 59 goals and 56 assists.
He is a talismanic figure at the Emirates Stadium, and the heart of Arteta’s team. On top of that, Saka was recently shortlisted for the Ballon d’Or.
To have excelled as he has at international level so young is also extraordinary, and he will likely be a key fixture for England for much of the next decade.
