Bukayo Saka has made a sensational start to the season, and should his sensational form continue he could break a host of Premier League and club records.
Our winger has been in scintillating form since the opening day, when he assisted our first goal of the new campaign, crossing for Kai Havertz to head home, then netted our second to confirm the points against Wolves, with a low left-footed strike.
That game set the tone for an incredible start to the season, and we’ve asked Opta to crunch the numbers behind Bukayo’s blistering form…
Assist king
Seven games into the Premier League season, Bukayo is leading the way in terms of assists with seven – indeed that’s the most for any player in any of Europe’s big five leagues. He’s also created the most ‘big chances’ (12) in Europe, and in terms of overall chances created he’s leading the way in the Premier League with 27, while only Barcelona’s Raphinha has more than him in Europe.
The England international tied a club record earlier this season by assisting in each of our opening five Premier League games, and only Thierry Henry had done that previously back in 2004/05. Two came from corners for Gabriel to head home against Tottenham and Manchester City, while the other five were in open play, three of which resulted in goals for Havertz.
Player | Team | Season | Assists |
---|---|---|---|
Harry Kane | Tottenham | 2020/21 | 8 |
Kevin De Bruyne | Man City | 2019/20 | 8 |
Cesc Fabregas | Arsenal | 2009/10 | 8 |
Bukayo Saka | Arsenal | 2024/25 | 7 |
Paul Pogba | Man Utd | 2021/22 | 7 |
Cesc Fabregas | Chelsea | 2014/15 | 7 |
Thierry Henry | Arsenal | 2004/05 | 7 |
Incidentally, the record for most assists in a Premier League season remains 20, set originally by Henry in 2002/03, and then equalled by Kevin De Bruyne in 2019/20.
Saka is on track to break that early on, as only three players have ever had more assists than him at this stage of the season – Harry Kane in 2020/21, De Bruyne in the season he tied the record, and Cesc Fabregas for us back in 2009/10. All three had eight assists after Matchday 7.
Player | Season | Assists |
---|---|---|
Thierry Henry | 2002/03 | 20 |
Kevin De Bruyne | 2019/20 | 20 |
Mesut Ozil | 2015/16 | 19 |
Cesc Fabregas | 2014/15 | 18 |
Kevin De Bruyne | 2016/17 | 18 |
Frank Lampard | 2004/05 | 18 |
Cesc Fabregas | 2007/08 | 17 |
Attacking threat
He’s not just making goals for others though. Bukayo has also been shot-happy this season, having had 25 attempts on goal from the first seven matches. Only four players have had more attempts, and our man's total of nine goal involvements is the third-highest in the Premier League.
He’s been involved in 60 per cent of our league goals in 2024/25, which have earned nine points so far based on how many we would have accrued without them. No players’ goals and assists have been more valuable in any other Premier League team.
Six of Bukayo's nine Premier League goal involvements have either drawn us level or put us ahead.
Player | Goals | Assists | G+A |
---|---|---|---|
Cole Palmer | 6 | 5 | 11 |
Erling Haaland | 10 | 0 | 10 |
Bukayo Saka | 2 | 7 | 9 |
Mohamed Salah | 4 | 4 | 8 |
Nicolas Jackson | 4 | 3 | 7 |
Luis Diaz | 5 | 1 | 6 |
Bryan Mbeumo | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Ollie Watkins | 4 | 2 | 6 |
In each of our last two games – at home to Leicester City and Southampton – he has created at least seven chances and taken at least seven shots. There are only 14 previous instances of a player managing to do that (since Opta’s stats in this category began in 20023/04), and Bukayo has become the first player to appear on the list twice. What’s more, he’s done it in back-to-back games. He’s the first player ever to do it for us.
Saka is also showing his value to the team and working hard when not on the ball too. Another list he features prominently on is winning possession most often in the opponents’ third of the pitch. He’s done that nine times – only three players have won the ball back more in that territory in the league.
Date | Player | Team | Opponent | Shots | Chances |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
30/08/2003 | Gaizka Mendieta | Middlesbrough | Leeds | 7 | 9 |
07/05/2005 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Man Utd | West Brom | 7 | 7 |
17/01/2009 | Frank Lampard | Chelsea | Stoke | 11 | 7 |
22/01/2011 | Nani | Man Utd | Birmingham | 8 | 7 |
21/04/2012 | Gylfi Sigurdsson | Swansea | Bolton | 7 | 7 |
13/05/2012 | Carlos Tevez | Man City | QPR | 7 | 7 |
13/05/2012 | Samir Nasri | Man City | QPR | 7 | 7 |
17/11/2012 | Hatem Ben Arfa | Newcastle | Swansea | 7 | 7 |
21/03/2015 | David Silva | Man City | West Brom | 10 | 11 |
29/10/2016 | Juan Mata | Man Utd | Burnley | 7 | 8 |
03/12/2016 | Christian Eriksen | Tottenham | Swansea | 7 | 7 |
15/09/2019 | Gerard Deulofeu | Watford | Arsenal | 7 | 8 |
12/08/2023 | Eberechi Eze | Crystal Palace | Sheffield Utd | 8 | 7 |
04/04/2024 | Cole Palmer | Chelsea | Man Utd | 9 | 8 |
28/09/2024 | Bukayo Saka | Arsenal | Leicester | 7 | 8 |
05/10/2024 | Bukayo Saka | Arsenal | Southampton | 7 | 7 |
Aiming for 50
Our No. 7's goal against the Saints was his 49th Premier League strike, and his next goal will make him the 11th Arsenal player to reach the half-century. He will also be our 40th men’s player to reach a half-century of league goals overall, and potentially the fifth-youngest.
He has more than a year to become our youngest player to the landmark in the Premier League, another club record held by Henry, who was 24 years and 128 days old when he scored his 50th in the competition in 2001. Saka has played 177 Premier League matches, and has 42 assists to go with his 49 goals. Only seven players have reached a Premier League century of goal involvements for us.
Date 50th League Goal | Player | League App No. | Competition | AGE |
---|---|---|---|---|
30/04/1932 | Cliff Bastin | 102 | Division 1 | 20Y 47D |
13/04/1974 | Ray Kennedy | 153 | Division 1 | 22Y 259D |
06/12/1969 | John Radford | 169 | Division 1 | 22Y 287D |
31/08/1935 | Ted Drake | 52 | Division 1 | 23Y 15D |
15/09/1979 | Frank Stapleton | 152 | Division 1 | 23Y 67D |
10/12/1963 | Joe Baker | 62 | Division 1 | 23Y 146D |
11/04/1992 | Paul Merson | 163 | Division 1 | 24Y 22D |
06/01/1906 | Tim Coleman | 99 | Division 1 | 24Y 72D |
23/12/2001 | Thierry Henry | 83 | Premier League | 24Y 128D |
04/10/1958 | David Herd | 77 | Division 1 | 24Y 172D |
Player | Goals | Played |
---|---|---|
Thierry Henry | 175 | 258 |
Ian Wright | 104 | 191 |
Robin van Persie | 96 | 194 |
Dennis Bergkamp | 87 | 315 |
Olivier Giroud | 73 | 180 |
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang | 68 | 128 |
Theo Walcott | 65 | 270 |
Robert Pires | 62 | 189 |
Alexis Sanchez | 60 | 122 |
Alexandre Lacazette | 54 | 158 |
Bukayo Saka | 49 | 177 |
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