The 23-year-old undoubtedly has the talent and the temperament to become the best player in England's top flight – but can he deliver every week?
Wednesday night's Champions League clash with Monaco really could have been one of those games for Arsenal – but for Bukayo Saka.
While everyone else around him was squandering gilt-edged opportunities, the winger remained the picture of composure. He opened the scoring shortly before the break, just as the fans' frustration with Gabriel Jesus' finishing was beginning to boil over, and then soothed their nerves with a killer second goal with just 12 minutes remaining.
Saka was essentially the reason why 'the new Stoke City' didn't need corners to capitalise on their dominance. "He is loved by everybody," Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta told , "and he makes the difference on the pitch."
Indeed, Saka has already been directly involved in 21 goals this season. The only Premier League player to have managed more is Mohamed Salah (28) – and it is the Egyptian's level of sustained excellence to which Saka must now aspire.
TNT Sports'His leadership is increasing'
It's testament to Saka's talent and temperament that, at just 23 years of age, he is viewed as one of the wise old heads at Arsenal.
"He looks really mature," Arteta said after the 3-0 win over Monaco. "What he has already done in the game at his age is incredible. Very humble, a great guy to have around. He's a special person.
"In his role, his leadership is increasing. With the young kids he is amazing."
Wednesday was a case in point, with Saka dishing out some words of encouragement to 18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly, who played a key role in the opener after becoming the youngest player to start a Champions League game for Arsenal for 13 years.
"He just needs to keep going," Saka told . "I'm just so proud of him. I just said to him that this is his level."
Saka's true level, of course, has previously been a hot topic of great debate.
AdvertisementAFPNot yet 'world-class'?
It was Rio Ferdinand who sent Arsenal Twitter into meltdown in March by claiming that Saka wasn't yet "world-class".
It's obviously a ridiculously subjective term, open to innumerable interpretations, but the former Manchester United defender had a point.
Or, at least, you could see what he was trying to say: Saka hadn't yet made anything like the same impact on the Champions League as some of his peers, such as Vinicius Junior.
He's starting to, though.
Having been held back by Arsenal's status as a Europa League club for the majority of his young career, Saka is now making the most of his belated chance to shine on the club game's grandest stage.
Getty Images Sport'His aim is to improve'
Since the start of last season (Saka's debut campaign), only Harry Kane (18) and Vinicus (16) have been involved in more goals than the Arsenal attacker, who has scored eight and created a further six – in just 14 appearances.
The challenge for Saka is maintaining that impressive ratio in the games that really matter, or what Ferdinand called "the nitty-gritty stages" of the tournament.
As even Arteta acknowledged: "You have to be able to do that consistently throughout many years to put yourself in that position [to be called world-class].
"We can talk about what he's done in his first six years of professional football, which is exceptional. But his aim is to improve, and I think he has the players and environment to continue to do that, so I'm sure he will."
There's no denying that Arsenal look like serious Champions League contenders this season, with Arteta's side third in the table and likely to seal a top-eight finish with one round to spare.
And yet doubts persist.
GettyCould Saka leave Arsenal to win titles?
Both Saka and Arsenal were shut down with worrying ease by a Bayern Munich side in total turmoil under Thomas Tuchel during the two teams' quarter-final clash in April, while they've also drawn blanks against both Atalanta and Inter in this season's league phase.
In that sense, this feels like a potentially defining season for Arsenal, Arteta and Saka – especially when one considers that, in the Premier League, it is Liverpool and Chelsea who rather surprisingly look better placed right now to take advantage of Manchester City's miserable form.
Even club legend Alan Smith has admitted that he has doubts over Saka's long-term future at the Emirates if the Gunners don't start winning major trophies.
"It's hard to say whether I think he’ll stay at Arsenal [for life]," the former striker told , "as it always depends on where the club is and if they’re challenging for honours.
"If they are, then a lot of top-class players – and Saka falls into that category – will feel like there's no need to move. But if there’s a dip in the club’s fortune…"
The coming weeks and months will be decisive – which is just what Saka needs to be for Arsenal.
