Will a fit Saka prove key to Arsenal's season finale?

Bukayo Saka has scored 10 goals for Arsenal this season For the first time in a long time, Arsenal looked back to their best in Saturday's win against Fulham - and so did Bukayo Saka. The Gunners were dominant in their 3-0 victory over Marco Silva's side at Emirates Stadium, and it was no coincidence that Saka was fit and firing. Seeing him be such a key creative source will fill Mikel Arteta and the Arsenal supporters with hope that he can be the player to lead the Gunners to the Champions League final by beating Atletico Madrid on Tuesday night, with them level after the semi-final first leg .

The England winger was making his first start since the middle of March after an Achilles injury, and showed why Arsenal have struggled without him in recent weeks as they look to win their first major trophy since 2020. Saka showed during his 45 minutes against Fulham why the Gunners made him the highest-paid player in their history when he signed a new contract in February. Arsenal had not won by two or more goals since beating Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 in the Champions League last 16 in March.

And the 24-year-old winger looked to have fully shaken off the injury that he had been managing before his period on the sidelines, with his match-winning first-half performance. Arsenal have had a wobble in recent weeks, winning just two of their past six matches, but with Saka back to his top level, his presence gave hope that Arsenal will be able to win that elusive piece of silverware. The last Arsenal performance when the attack felt like it was flowing was February's 4-1 demolition of rivals Tottenham - the last time Arsenal scored three or more goals in a game.

"Well, he certainly made a difference," Arteta said of Saka after beating Fulham . "I mean, he made two actions that decided the game, and we know what he's capable of. "He's come back in the most important period of the season, and now he's fresh, his mind is fresh, his hunger is at the highest possible height, and I think he needed a performance like that to impact the team, so that's a big platform for Tuesday.