Bukayo Saka ‘wasn’t really himself’ - Martin Keown breaks down Arsenal's struggles after Porto loss

Martin Keown said Bukayo Saka "wasn’t really himself” after the England star struggled to impose himself on the first leg of Arsenal’s UEFA Champions League last-16 tie away to Porto.

The Gunners were beaten by a 94th minute stunner from Wenderson Galeno as the Portuguese outfit clinched a 1-0 victory.

Mikel Arteta’s side enjoyed plenty of possession at the Estadio do Dragao but failed to register a single shot on target as their attack, typically so devastating, failed to find a route through the hosts’ resolute resistance.

“They were [wasteful],” Keown said on TNT Sports. “It seems as if they don’t start the game full on and with that confidence it affects them then in the second half and that’s what certainly happened today.

“Saka wasn’t really himself, they didn’t get as many touches and when they did it broke down too many times.”

Porto’s compact shape limited the chances Arsenal were able to create through the middle, forcing them to go down the flanks and rely on set-pieces and crosses, something Keown added is at odds with Saka’s style of play.

“It’s not something he does that often, slinging it in, he usually cuts inside and you expect more,” Keown continued.

“You’ve grown so used to seeing these guys [create chances]. But Saka was giving the ball away and that’s just not him.”

Arsenal came into the fixture on a rich vein of form, having scored 21 goals in a run of five straight victories to move within five points of Premier League leaders Liverpool with a game in hand.

But the UEFA Champions League brings with it a different kind of pressure and Keown stressed this will have been a wake-up call for the English club ahead of the crunch second leg at the Emirates.

“It was a harsh lesson for Arteta and his team and he talked about attacking better and showing more aggression and they’re quick learners,” Keown added.

“They are young in this competition as manager and as players and I think they’ll learn quickly and do much better in the return leg.

“They can’t play this badly again. It was a professional performance because the defence really did a good job until the goal and there are question marks. Was the keeper a bit too low? Could Declan Rice have gone a bit higher, could he have pressed a little bit?

“I think there was a little bit of fatigue there but there’s still plenty to go in this tie yet.”

- - -

TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination. You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.