Bukayo Saka Answers Thomas Tuchel's England Call with Explosive Response
Arsenal's talented winger Bukayo Saka demonstrated his commitment to following Thomas Tuchel's guidance as England secured a 2-0 victory over Serbia at Wembley Stadium on Thursday evening.
While this World Cup qualifier held no significance for the Three Lions beyond national pride, having already qualified for the 2026 tournament in North America, it provided Saka with a chance to implement his manager's feedback from the last international window.
Following his strike against Wales in October, Saka established himself as Arsenal's highest-scoring England international, breaking Cliff Bastin's record from 1938. That marked his 13th goal at senior international level, which Tuchel indicated afterward was insufficient for a player of his caliber.
"What's his England goal tally? 13?" Tuchel questioned at that time. "That needs to increase. It's inadequate. He must continue progressing. I expected at least 30! Even then I would say, 'Still not enough', because I'm never completely satisfied."
Before Thursday's match against Serbia, Saka acknowledged he "completely" shared Tuchel's viewpoint. "Absolutely, let's aim for more [goals]," he stated. "The responsibility lies with me."
Saka Delivers When It Matters Against Serbia
The composed left-footed strike Saka steered home to open the scoring in the 28th minute surely pleased his manager, along with the player himself and supporters of both Arsenal and England. This represented his 14th England goal across 47 international matches since his 2020 debut.
It's worth highlighting that Saka's England scoring frequency mirrors his Arsenal output closely. His best campaign for the Gunners yielded 20 goals in 47 matches during 2023-24. He managed 12 in 37 last term, 15 in 48 during 2022-23, and 12 in 43 throughout 2021-22. During 2023, Saka found the net four times in eight England appearances, though this dropped to just once in 11 games during 2024.
Tuchel's perspective likely stems from England's shortage of experienced international goalscorers beyond Harry Kane. The national team skipper has accumulated 76 goals for his country, continuously extending his all-time record with each successful finish—he's already 23 goals clear of Wayne Rooney's previous benchmark of 53.
However, no other player in the 25-man November roster has reached 20 international goals. Only two—Marcus Rashford (18) and Saka (14)—have achieved double digits.
Saka has accomplished more in England colors thus far than Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden, who despite similar cap counts have combined for merely 10 goals. Cole Palmer and Anthony Gordon, both absent from this squad due to injuries, have netted just two goals apiece.
The responsibility clearly falls on these players to increase their goal contributions, but Tuchel will be satisfied that Saka has immediately risen to meet the challenge.