Former Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster insists Mikel Arteta should have “massive doubts” about Bukayo Saka ahead of their Champions League tie against Paris Saint-Germain.
The Gunners beat Real Madrid 3-0 in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final clash with Saka given the perfect opportunity to put them four goals ahead on aggregate early in the second leg.
However, the England international fluffed his lines by attempting to panenka the ball over Thibaut Courtois in the Real Madrid net, with the ball going to the side rather than down the middle.
Courtois saved but Saka redeemed himself on 65 minutes with a wonderful finish to put Arsenal 1-0 up on the night and 4-0 up on aggregate.
Vinicius Junior quickly equalised before a late Gabriel Martinelli goal saw the Gunners win in the Bernabeu and come out on top 5-1 on aggregate.
Former Tottenham midfielder Rafael van der Vaart hit out at Saka following his penalty miss, the Dutchman said: “I think this is total overestimation of himself. In the sense of: I’m going to steal the show here. While this is a very normal player, who has to do his best every day. What he’s doing now is just a disgrace.”
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And now former Premier League goalkeeper Foster admits it was “one of the s***est penalties” that he’s ever seen and reckons some of his Arsenal team-mates wouldn’t have been happy at half-time.
Foster said of Saka’s penalty on the The Cycling GK YouTube channel: “I ain’t trying to dink Thibaut Courtois! It’s one of the s***est penalties I’ve ever seen. It is so s***.
“I half agree with the comment [from Van der Vaart] because, at that moment in time, I think Bukayo Saka has got a little bit carried away with himself and he’s tried to show off.
“He has tried to show off when in reality, if he puts that ball in the back of the net, the game is done.
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“It’s ten minutes into the game. Put that ball in the back of the net and the game is done.”
Foster added: “If I’m one of those other Arsenal players, I’m going up to him after that penalty and going, ‘Get your head in the game, k***head, don’t do silly s*** like this!’… I don’t want my player to be doing that.
“I don’t mind a player missing the target if he’s absolutely gone for it. If the goalie makes a world-class save, you put your hands up, but it wasn’t a world-class save.”
Foster continued: “He’s obviously class. But if the tie is 0-0 and you’re away at the Bernabeu, there is no way he’s dinking that, he’s not dinking it.
“I don’t know if he’s going to be the player to take the penalty at 0-0 overall. I think maybe a senior player would go and take that and they’re dispatching it properly.”
When asked which Arsenal player should be on penalties if a high-stakes opportunity like that comes along again, Foster replied: “Martin Odegaard, somebody where you go, ‘Yeah, go on then!’, just put the ball in the back of the net.
“That would cast massive doubts now if I’m the Arsenal manager and Bukayo Saka’s going to be doing that.”
