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Bukayo at 25: Saka’s top EPL and international stats ahead of Chelsea clash
05th September, 2026 05:17 PM
Arsenal’s gem Bukayo Saka has indeed made a name for himself at the Gunners club in recent years. From joining Arsenal Academy at 7, making his
Premier League debut on January 1, 2019, and becoming the first player born in 2001 to feature in the English top flight, Saka’s career has certainly seen it all with Arsenal.
The London-born star will be hoping he continues his record-breaking feat at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, September 6, 2026, as Arsenal host Chelsea in the London Derby at 6:30 pm.
Now 25, the Englishman continues to establish himself as one of the most prolific and consistent wingers in European football. So far, he has scored 66 goals and 50 assists in 228 appearances since his senior Arsenal debut in the 2018–19 season.
He is the first Arsenal player to score for England at both the men’s World Cup and the UEFA European Championship. More importantly, his sensational hat-trick in the FIFA World Cup 2026 third-place match against France on Sunday, July 19, 2026, helped England secure their best-ever finish at the World Cup since their 1966 triumph.
That treble earned Saka a place among an exclusive group of England players to score a World Cup hat-trick. The Arsenal winger became only the fourth English footballer to achieve the feat, following Geoff Hurst in 1966, Gary Lineker in 1986, and Harry Kane at the 2018 tournament in Russia.
Despite approaching the tournament on the back of an injury-plagued season where he played limited minutes, Saka became the first English player to record 3 goals and 3 assists at a single major tournament—a true legend in the making.
Saka recently surpassed 50 Premier League assists, making him one of the youngest players in Arsenal’s history to reach the century mark for combined goals and assists in the competition. With 62 goals and 50 assists across 228 Premier League appearances, he has directly generated over 112 goal contributions in English top-flight play.
Underscoring his remarkable durability, Saka previously set an Arsenal club record by playing in 87 consecutive Premier League matches between May 2021 and October 2023. His influence extends far beyond domestic action, boasting over 15 direct goal involvements across UEFA Champions League and Europa League fixtures for the Gunners.
Individual accolades
His individual career is equally stellar, highlighted by back-to-back Arsenal Player of the Season awards in 2020–21 and 2021–22. Retaining the award in 2022 made him the first player to win the honour in consecutive campaigns since
Thierry Henry in 2003 and 2004, cementing his place as the focal point of Mikel Arteta’s project.
His splendid form during the 2022–23 campaign earned him widespread national recognition, capped by winning the PFA Young Player of the Year award. In what was the best season of his Arsenal career in terms of output, Saka clocked 14 goals and 11 assists in the league. He also became the second-youngest player to reach 20 Premier League goals for the Gunners when he scored a brace in a famous win over Liverpool.
He equalled that performance the following season to further enhance his goalscoring prowess, netting 16 Premier League goals and 9 assists as Arsenal again pushed for the Premier League title. He is currently the only Arsenal player to have either scored or assisted against every side he has played two or more times against in the Premier League.
Premier League triumph
Saka realised a childhood dream in the 2025-26 season by helping propel Arsenal to their first Premier League title in 22 years. Operating as the tactical centerpiece of Arteta’s attack, he produced 7 goals and 5 assists across 31 league appearances, delivering critical goals in tight title-race encounters against Chelsea and Tottenham.
Arsenal reached the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League final against PSG but lost, cementing his legacy as the modern icon of Arsenal’s return to domestic dominance.
