'Plays better': Ray Parlour says £30m Arsenal player improves so much when Bukayo Saka is in the team
03/27/2025 06:45 AM
Arsenal's Premier League title dreams have gone up in smoke this season, but there's still something to play for.
Indeed, Arsenal are still in the Champions League, and while they face an uphill battle ahead of facing Real Madrid in the quarter-finals, anything is possible here.
Thierry Henry believes Arsenal can get past Real Madrid, and speaking to Hayters TV, Ray Parlour has shared an interesting verdict on this game.
The pundit says that he really hopes Bukayo Saka will be back fit for the Madrid tie, claiming that the winger is so important to this Arsenal team.
According to Parlour, Martin Odegaard plays much better when Saka is in the team.
Martin Odegaard is better when Bukayo Saka plays
Parlour spoke about Saka's return and the affect he will have on his teammates.
According to the pundit, Martin Odegaard plays much better when Saka is alongside him.
Saka is expected to return in early April, so he could well be fit to face Madrid.
"Hopefully Saka will be back. I don't know how far away he is from being back, but you're risking a player who has been out a while on a game. But if he's ready to go he will make a massive difference," Parlour said.
"I think Odegaard plays better when he's on the right side, with a bit more balance, but I'm really looking forward to it."
Martin Odegaard record with and without Bukayo Saka
Parlour says that Odegaard plays much better when Saka is in the team, and, interestingly, the stats do back that up.
Paul Merson reckons Odegaard makes Saka a better player, but Parlour believes it's actually the other way around.
Of course, Saka has been almost ever-present for Arsenal over the years, so there isn't a huge sample size to look at, but Odegaard's numbers are much worse when Saka doesn't play.
| Martin Odegaard stats without Bukayo Saka | Martin Odegaard stats with Bukayo Saka | |
|---|---|---|
| 32 | Games | 153 |
| 5 | Goals | 35 |
| 6 | Assists | 27 |
| 0.16 | Goals per game | 0.23 |
| 0.19 | Assists per game | 0.18 |
Saka is undoubtedly one of Arsenal's best and most important players, and if he's fit to face Real Madrid, Arsenal may well stand a chance of getting past Los Blancos.
Arsenal still have a chance of winning the Champions League, but they will need the likes of Saka and Odegaard to be at their best if they are to become European champions.
