The Albany Gazette - Arsenal's Arteta backs 'incredible' Saka despite patchy form

The 24-year-old has been one of the Gunners' main attacking threats in recent years and signed a new long-term contract at the Emirates in last month.

But he has been sub-par during the current campaign as Arsenal target a unique quadruple, managing just nine goals and seven assists in 39 matches across all competitions.

One of those goals came in last week's vital 1-0 Premier League win at Brighton.

Arsenal manager Arteta strongly defended his forward at his pre-match press conference on the eve of Saturday's home league match against David Moyes's Everton.

"We fully trust him and love him," said the Spaniard. "What he's doing for us, for this club, is just incredible at his age and he's continued to have that massive impact for us.

"He can have an individual performance that is not probably a reflection of his level, like every human, every player in the world.

"But overall when you look at his strength and the impulse he has in the team, it's just incredible."

The Gunners last week took a giant stride towards winning their first Premier League title since 2004 when they beat Brighton and Manchester City drew with Nottingham Forest on the same evening.

But Areta said despite their comfortable seven-point lead over second-placed City, Arsenal must "earn" the title.

"Every game that you win now is a massive step towards the objective," he said. "And tomorrow we have a very difficult one."

The Arsenal boss added: "We value the position that we have right now and how much we want to, for sure be in the same position at the end of the season, and that depends on us.

"So our focus is on what we have to do, what we have to maintain and what we have to improve together."

(F.Jackson--TAG)