Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka made sure he took Thomas Tuchel’s instructions on board when England beat Serbia 2–0 at Wembley Stadium on Thursday night.
The World Cup qualifier meant nothing for the Three Lions beyond the pride of winning, having already secured their place at the 2026 finals in North America next summer. But it was still an opportunity for Saka to act on what his manager asked after the previous international break.
With his goal against Wales in October, Saka became Arsenal’s all-time leading scorer for England, surpassing the record set by Cliff Bastin in 1938. That was Saka’s 13th at senior international level, which Tuchel suggested after the game was not enough for someone of his quality.
“How many goals did he score for England? 13?” Tuchel asked at the time. “This has to be more. It’s not enough. He needs to keep on going. I thought it’s 30 at least! And then I would have said, ‘It’s not enough’, because I’m never, never satisfied.”
Coming into Thursday’s Serbia game, Saka admitted he “100%” agreed with Tuchel’s assessment. “Yeah, let’s go for more [goals],” he said. “It’s up to me.”
