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Joe Cole compared Arsenal star Bukayo Saka to Lionel Messi after England were held to a 1-1 draw by Ukraine in Euro 2024 qualifying on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Arsenal news, exclusives and analysis<\/p>\n
Saka registered another impressive performance for the Three Lions despite the result and came close to securing the win before seeing a powerful effort come back off the crossbar.<\/p>\n
The 22-year-old was recently named among 30 nominees for the 2023 Ballon d\u2019Or while Jamie Carragher has claimed that Saka is already among the best players in the world.<\/p>\n
Cole has taken his praise of Saka a little further and compared the winger to Argentine hero Messi, widely regarded as the best footballer of all time.<\/p>\n
\u2018You can\u2019t defend [against Saka] because he\u2019s got this ability like Lionel Messi where he takes it backwards,\u2019 Cole told Channel 4.<\/p>\n
\u2018So the defender, you can stop him but he takes it back and he\u2019s still got the ability to whip it with so much power. <\/p>\n
\u2018There\u2019s only a few [players] \u2013 Mo Salah\u2019s got it, Lionel Messi\u2019s got it and Bukayo Saka\u2019s got it. When he gets in that position, he\u2019s clinical.\u2019<\/p>\n
Saka has registered two goals and two assists across his first five games of the 2023-24 campaign.<\/p>\n
He played a key role in Arsenal\u2019s Premier League title charge last season, becoming the first Gunners player to register double figures for goals and assists since Alexis Sanchez in 2016-17.<\/p>\n
Saka, a Hale End academy graduate, has made a total of 184 Arsenal appearances to date, scoring 40 goals and providing 42 assists.<\/p>\n