'Man of the moment': French press hail Arsenal star after Monaco win, he was simply 'irrepressible'

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As Arsenal breezed past Monaco to put themselves on the verge of Champions League knock-out stage qualification, one member of Mikel Arteta’s side produced a performance fit for royalty in the Principality.

Adi Hutter, Monaco’s head coach, admitted before kick-off at the Emirates that Arsenal would be ‘impossible’ to keep quiet throughout the entirety of the 90 minutes.

Even as Mikel Arteta’s team slipped up away at an organised and perfectly-drilled Fulham on Sunday afternoon, for instance, The Cottagers still needed an almighty stroke of luck as Gabriel Martinelli had strayed narrowly offside in the build-up to that would-be winner late on.

There would not be quite so much late drama against Monaco, however, even if Arsenal did have to wait until the 78th minute to double the lead given to them by Bukayo Saka in the first-half.

But, as the hosts created chance after chance, and missed most of them, Monaco appeared to find it ‘impossible’ to contain Arsenal full stop, from the first whistle to the last.

As Hutter’s backline collapsed under the weight of pressure from Kai Havertz, Saka curled in a maiden Champions League brace much to the delight of a jubilant home support.

In fact, across 14 appearances in the competition, Arsenal’s number seven is averaging a goal or an assist every time he takes to the pitch. A pretty remarkable record, and a pretty remarkable footballer.

French press hail Bukayo Saka as Arsenal star hits Monaco brace

While his two finishes on the night were pretty straightforward – a mix-up involving goalkeeper Radoslaw Majecki gifting Saka a second while Gabriel Jesus’ perfect cross made that early opener something of a foregone conclusion – his overall performance felt like another coming-of-age display from a winger who looks very much at home now against the some of the more elite opposition European football has to offer.

To quote French publication TF1 Info, in their post-match autopsy, ‘irrepressible’ was the word most appropriate to describe Saka’s dazzling display on the right-hand side.

Not content with his two goals, meanwhile, the England international then assisted Havertz at the death with a fizzing ball across the box.

“The danger was known and AS Monaco failed to contain it,” Le Monde write. “Bukayo Saka is the man of the moment for Arsenal and proved it again at the Emirates Stadium.

“Accustomed to individual exploits, the English winger turned into a fox in the box to score the first two goals of the match, as an opportunist.”

Mikel Arteta applauds Saka’s latest Champions League masterclass

Saka is now in the midst of a thrilling run of ten goals or assists in his last six games. After a relatively sluggish start to the campaign, he could hardly be hitting his stride at a better time with a gruelling festive fixture schedule on the horizon.

"Bukayo is playing at the highest level every three days,” Arteta beamed in his post-match press conference. “He's contributing in attacking, in defending, in every aspect of the game. And, on top of that, he wants more.

“That's the environment we want to create.”

Arsenal still have Dinamo Zagreb and Girona to come in the final two matchdays of the revamped Champions League first-phase. But, third in the table with 18 points, The Gunners now appear to have one foot and at least a few toes in the knock-out rounds.