Tom Olver
Published December 1, 2025 2:15pm
Updated December 1, 2025 2:16pm
Share this article via whatsappShare this article via xCopy the link to this article.Link is copiedShare this article via facebook
Comment now
Comments
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand picked out Bukayo Saka for special praise (Picture: Getty)
Rio Ferdinand says there were signs of Bukayo Saka returning to his ‘unplayable’ best in Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea and ‘anything could be possible’ for the forward in the second half of the season.
Top-of-the-table Arsenal extended their unbeaten run in the Premier League to ten games after Mikel Merino cancelled out Trevoh Chalobah’s header in scrappy game containing few clear-cut chances at Stamford Bridge.
Moises Caicedo’s sending off left the Gunners with a man advantage at the end of the first half, but it was hosts Chelsea that made the breakthrough just three minutes into the second period.
Saka played an instrumental role in the visitors finding an equaliser, leaving Marc Cucurella in a twist before turning and providing the cross for makeshift centre-forward Merino, who headed beyond Robert Sanchez from close range.
While Saka has netted three times in the English top flight this season, his assist for Merino on Sunday was the first he had registered in exactly a year.
Your ultimate guide to the football season
Metro's football newsletter: In The Mixer. Exclusive analysis, FPL tips and transfer talk sent straight to your inbox every Friday – sign up, it's an open goal.
He will no doubt be desperate to pick up where he left off when Arsenal return to action at home to Brentford on Wednesday night.
‘When he’s on it he looks unplayable,’ former Manchester United and England defender Ferdinand said of Saka on his Rio Ferdinand Presents YouTube channel.
Saka provided the assist for Merino’s equaliser in the derby (Picture: Getty)
The Arsenal forward had gone a year without registering an assist in the league (Picture: Getty)
‘He’s got that strength like Mohamed Salah. He’s small in frame and size when you look at him, but do you ever see him get pushed off the ball? Especially when he’s got his back to play and get the ball side-on.
‘You don’t really see people take the ball off him or put him on his arse. He’s a strong little guy.
‘I always think of Joleon Lescott when I watch Saka because he says, “Listen, he makes the right decision at the right time 99 per cent of the time”… he passes it when he should, he passes it longer when he should, he shoots when he should, he creates a one-vs-one when he should and he crosses when he should.’
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Up Next
Previous Page Next PageAccording to Ferdinand, the sky is the limit for what Saka and Arsenal could achieve in the back-end of the campaign.
‘He’s very efficient and very effective and it’s a very nice assist,’ Ferdinand – a six-time Premier League winner with Manchester United – added.
‘He’s one of those players that if he starts coming into form at the right time of the season, anything could be possible with this Arsenal team.
‘I think he’s that important because he’s that impactful.’
Caicedo was shown a straight red card towards the end of the first half (Picture: Getty)
Ferdinand is confident Arsenal will be satisfied to come away from the derby with a point, even taking into account Caicedo’s sending off towards the end of the first half.
‘If I went back into my head and how I’d be feeling after the game in the changing room, a game of that magnitude, top-of-the-table clash, Arsenal would have taken a draw before the game,’ he explained.
‘If you spoke to Declan Rice and the boys in that dressing room before the game and asked, “If you could walk out of Stamford Bridge, regardless of what happens across the 90 minutes, with a point right now, would you take it?”, I think they’d all have said yes.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Up Next
Previous Page Next Page‘So regardless of what’s gone on and, yeah, Chelsea went down to ten men… sometimes it’s much harder playing against ten men as everyone drops behind the ball, there’s no spaces, and funnily enough, Chelsea went 1-0 up with ten men.
‘But I don’t think this affects anything with Arsenal. They haven’t lost, they maintained that, which is great, they’re still on a good streak, they’ve been in relentless form, blistering form, banging goals in.
‘They’ve also changed that narrative in the last couple of weeks from being a set-piece, Tony Pulis, Big Sam [Allardyce]-inspired team to being a team that can play, create chances and score goals.’
All in all, Ferdinand reckons it has been a ‘wonderful’ fortnight for Arsenal, both domestically and in Europe.
‘I think they’ve had a wonderful couple of weeks in building that momentum and that belief,’ he went on.
‘After that game against Bayern Munich in the week, I’m going to go as far as to say that there are teams going up against Arsenal that are more fearful than anything about getting rolled over and they’re probably walking into that game going, “How do we beat these? How do we match these physically? How do we match them in terms of the ball retention? How do we get the ball off them? How do we defend against them at set-pieces?”
‘I think teams are going into games against Arsenal and they’re starting to ask themselves more questions than we’ve seen, even in the last three or four seasons.’
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Arrow MORE: Ismaila Sarr injury update ahead of Crystal Palace’s midweek trip to Burnley
Arrow MORE: Arsenal legend David Seaman urges Mikel Arteta to drop £32million Arsenal star after Chelsea draw
Arrow MORE: Frank Leboeuf rules one team out of Premier League title race after Arsenal drop points against Chelsea
Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source Football Newsletter – In The MixerYour guide to the week in football. Exclusive analysis, FPL tips and transfer talk – sign up, it’s an open goal.
Team Expand Options ? Select All Select All Arsenal Arsenal Aston Villa Aston Villa Bournemouth Bournemouth Brighton Brighton Burnley Burnley Chelsea Chelsea Crystal Palace Crystal Palace Everton Everton Fulham Fulham Leeds United Leeds United Liverpool Liverpool Manchester City Manchester City Manchester United Manchester United Newcastle Newcastle Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest Sunderland Sunderland Tottenham Tottenham West Ham West Ham Wolves Wolves Email I agree to receive newsletters from Metro I agree to receive newsletters from Metro Sign UpSign UpThis site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy
