Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka has been grouped with Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele and Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal for their performances in this season’s Champions League.
All three forwards are playing key roles for their teams in the semi-finals, although their first-leg matches had varied outcomes. Dembele and Yamal each scored, while Saka struggled to make an impact, largely neutralized by PSG’s Nuno Mendes.
Despite Yamal scoring a brilliant goal against Inter, Barcelona aren’t favored to reach the final after drawing 3-3 at home, with the second leg set for next week in Italy.
PSG, on the other hand, are in a strong position after a 1-0 away win, especially considering their dominant performances against Liverpool and Aston Villa in earlier rounds.
Saka, who starred in Arsenal’s previous match against Real Madrid, had a quiet game this time with just one shot and was booked for dissent after a soft foul on Mendes. Even though he’s missed time due to injury, he’s still contributed seven goals or assists in the competition. Yamal now has nine, and Dembele leads the trio with 11.
Nonetheless, some Baller League content creators on TikTok have rated Saka as the top Champions League winger this season. Interestingly, despite having the most goal involvements, Dembele is often ranked third, possibly because he’s often played centrally rather than on the wing. His availability for the second leg is uncertain due to a hamstring injury.
If Dembele is sidelined, it could be a major setback for PSG. Meanwhile, Arsenal are likely to benefit from Thomas Partey’s return and could mount a comeback. Yamal, after a surprising show of admiration for Arsenal in a chat with Thierry Henry, might be eager to face Saka in a potential final.
After the Barcelona-Inter draw, Henry asked the youngster on CBS Sports, “I’m going to watch El Clasico—would it be possible for you to give me your shirt, for my son?”