Arsenal of England youngster, Bukayo Saka appeared to struggle during Saturday’s English Premier League match away to Brighton & Hove Albion, and he the Nigerian-born lad ended up getting knocks from analysts, but Tosin Adarabioyo scored for Blackburn Rovers in the lower division.
Megasportsarena.com reports thsat, while Adarabioyo, who is on loan from Manchester City, was on song with a rare goal in the English Championship, Saka did not find the going smooth at all in the top-flight, and he got a couple of harsh words from Manchester United legend, Rio Ferdinand.
Also slammed by Ferdinand alongside Saka was French striker, Alexandre Lacazette, as the ex-defender reckoned that both players were to blame for Brighton’s equaliser in Saturday’s 2-1 away defeat suffered by The Gunners at American Express Community Stadium.
Saka, who made his 20th appearance of the season in the EPL, has three assists in his last five games in the top-flight and nine overall, but Saturday was a different kettle of fish, as he could not enact his overlapping range and was found culpable 15 minutes from time, when Lewis Dunk canceled out Nicolas Pepe’s opener after a scramble in front of The Gunners’ goalmouth.
In analyzing factors that led to the goal, Ferdinand took a swipe at Saka for failing to recover fast enough, but he also served a general knock at the entire Arsenal squad for their poor defensive efforts in the build-up to The Seagulls’ equaliser.
Ferdinand told BT Sport: “The defending from Arsenal’s point of view is very slack. One player goes out to play against two, we see it straight away. You’ve got to get people out. Saka at the back is a bit laboured, he’s got to get out in line with the defending line here.
“In the end it’s a very good ball but Lacazette’s got to get out there and be brave and defend the cross properly. He’s got his hands behind his back. I don’t like defending like that in the box. Get out there full body.”
On the other hand, it was both personal and collective joy for Adarabioyo, as the Nigerian-born defender was among the scorers for Blackburn, and his all round sterling efforts helped his side beat Bristol City 3-1 in the English Championship.
Jamie Paterson headed the visitors ahead in the 34th minute but their lead lasted only three minutes, with Corry Evans restoring parity, after which Adarabioyo curled a shot into the top right corner to make it 2-1 after 61 minutes, following which Adam Armstrong made it 3-1.
Adarabioyo, who spent the whole of last season on loan at West Bromwich Albion, where he made 36 appearances in all competitions, has now struck three goals this term, following earlier sizzlers against Sheffield Wednesday and Charlton Athletic.
