Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit has said that you can’t count Bukayo Saka out of contention for the Ballon d’Or award.
The Gunners recorded a historic 3-0 win against Real Madrid on Tuesday night, giving them a huge advantage going into the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final.
Declan Rice stole the headlines during the game with two superb free-kick goals to put Arsenal ahead and send the Emirates into raptures, he has received praise from sports stars such as Lando Norris, Frank Lampard and Ian Poulter.
However, Saka played his part in the game, winning both free kicks before Rice scored in what was his first start for Arsenal since mid-December when he suffered a hamstring injury.
Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit believes that his performances are enough to win the Ballon d’Or if the Gunners succeed in the Champions League.
Petit told William Hill: “It’s incredibly rare to see someone return from injury and consistently perform at such a high level, as he did on Tuesday night.
“His contributions in terms of goals and assists are elite. Just look at his performance against Madrid — he was absolutely crucial for Arsenal. One-on-one, down the flank, he’s a nightmare to defend. If Madrid were to make a move for him, I’m sure their fans would be more than delighted.”
Petit believes that with no World Cup or Euros this year, the Ballon d’Or should be awarded based on Champions League accolades.
“The Ballon d’Or race is incredibly tight this year.” He said, “Without a World Cup or Euros, the spotlight is firmly on the Champions League. That puts even more weight on performances from players still in the competition. At this point, it could come down to something as simple as: whoever lifts the Champions League trophy might lift the Ballon d’Or too.
“After Arsenal’s first-leg win over Real Madrid, it’s hard to ignore the impact that could have on Kylian Mbappé’s chances. If he’s knocked out early, it dents his case.
“And on the flip side, if Arsenal go all the way, Bukayo Saka absolutely deserves to be in the Ballon d’Or discussion, but it may be tricky for him this season as he was injured for four months. But at the level he’s playing right now, you can’t count him out.”
Who is the favourite for the Ballon d’Or?
Despite Saka’s impressive performance last night, he still isn’t one of the stand out favourites to win the award at the end of the year.
According to Oddschecker, Saka is a longshot at 200/1. It says that Barcelona attacker Raphinha is currently the favourite to win at odds of 7/4.
The second favourite is Real Madrid star Mbappe at 4/1 ahead of PSG’s Ousmane Dembele at 6/1 and Liverpool’s Mo Salah, who at 8/1 is the highest Premier League player on the list.
