Bukayo Saka Says Mikel Arteta Reestablishing Arsenal 'Way' After Bournemouth Win

Bukayo Saka believes Mikel Arteta is reestablishing "the Arsenal passing way" since his appointment as the club's manager. 

The Gunners have endured a campaign to forget so far, sitting down in 10th place in the Premier League table. However, since the arrival of the new boss there's been an uplift in positivity at the Emirates Stadium, with the team improving their results and playing a more attractive brand of football.

On Monday, they kept their hopes of FA Cup glory alive, as Arsenal ran out 2-1 winners. Saka opened the scoring on the night and afterwards he told BT Sport (h/t James Westwood of Goal) he's delighted with the work being done by the coach.

"Mikel's trying to bring back the philosophy, the Arsenal passing way, and I think we played really good football in the first half," said the 18-year-old.

Here is more of what Saka had to say about the team and the manager following the win at the Vitality Stadium:

In his breakthrough campaign, the teenager has been able to add a productive edge to the Arsenal team:

Although Saka played as a wide forward during his youth career, this term he's frequently filled in as a left-back for the Gunners, with Sead Kolasinac and Kieran Tierney suffering with injury issues.

Playing in defence didn't dampen his attacking enthusiasm on Monday, though, with Saka hammering an unstoppable shot past Bournemouth goalkeeper Mark Travers from a tight angle:

Eddie Nketiah doubled Arsenal's advantage before the interval from Saka's cross; Bournemouth's response came too late, with Sam Surridge grabbing a consolation goal in injury time.

The Gunners will fancy their chances of progressing in the next round, as they were drawn away to League One outfit Portsmouth.

The match was an indication of what Saka is capable of, as he's caused many sides problems with his speed, directness and ability to make smart decisions when he does get forward.

Following the game, the Gunners manager paid tribute to Saka, as well as a number of other young players who made their mark on the match:

Arteta would have been delighted to see these rising stars shine in Monday's encounter, and that bodes well for the rest of the campaign. With Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Europa League campaigns to negotiate, these Arsenal tyros should get opportunities to show what they can do frequently.

The fact Saka has been able to adapt so well to an unfamiliar position is testament to his intelligence and versatility. While his future perhaps lies further forward, the games he's been given at left-back will surely be beneficial to his overall development.