Bukayo Saka left with 'bad feeling' for missing late Arsenal goal after leaving game early

Arsenal's star player Bukayo Saka, who is often relied upon for late goals, once missed a thrilling equaliser for his beloved club after leaving the stadium early.

Saka, now 22, has been a key player for Arsenal this season. The England international has only sat out a few games, scoring 16 goals and providing 13 assists in 37 matches for Mikel Arteta's side. However, back in 2018, the young forward was among the academy hopefuls watching a London derby against Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium. It was Arsene Wenger's last season in charge, and every point mattered in the race for European qualification.

After Jack Wilshere put Arsenal ahead, Chelsea's Eden Hazard and Marcos Alonso turned the game around. Saka left early with Arsenal still behind 2-1, only to hear the cheers for Hector Bellerin's stunning equaliser from outside the stadium.

When asked by Snickers to rate football fans' own goals, such as running out of battery when your ticket is on your phone, Saka had an even better story. When asked about missing a goal because you're queuing for food, he said: "That's an eleven (out of 10)," Saka admitted. "I've done that before, it's a bad feeling. I remember leaving Arsenal v Chelsea early. Hector Bellerin scored a late, late equaliser and I heard it from leaving outside."

It was no ordinary goal, either. Any Bellerin strike is a collector's item, but on this occasion the right-back found the top corner of Thibaut Courtois' net in the third minute of stoppage time to send the home fans wild - so wild, in fact, that Saka claims he heard them from outside the ground.

"It was a great football game," Wenger said after the draw. "That's what you want people to talk about. The media and social networks drive everyone crazy today, but what is important to me is a good football game. "We played three games in six days and you could see the team gave absolutely everything. We have a busy schedule and have made bad decisions but there is still great quality in our games."

The point ensured Arsenal extended their unbeaten run to seven games around the turn of the year, but five defeats in their following seven outings dashed any lingering Champions League hopes. Wenger announced in April 2018 that he would leave at the end of the campaign, and his team ended the season in sixth.

Saka never got the opportunity to play a first-team game under Wenger, only making his debut under Unai Emery in November 2018. The winger had the chance to meet Le Professeur in December 2022, though, when Wenger returned to the Emirates Stadium for a league victory against West Ham.

"Bukayo didn't know him but he called him 'boss' immediately," shared Arsenal executive vice-chair Tim Lewis about Saka's meeting with Wenger. "He said, 'Boss, how can I improve? ' [and] Arsene very dryly said, 'I think you could use your right foot a bit more'."