Arsenal starlet surprisingly picked Manchester United legend Cristiano Ronaldo as his idol prior to preseason Barcelona clash

Arsenal came very close to winning the Premier League last season, only to be upended by a blistering Manchester City’s late-season form. Arsenal had good control over their game for most of the season after being at the summit of the Premier League table for 248 days. They were the first club in the league’s history to stay on top of the table for that long without actually winning the championship.

Although the Gunners failed to win any trophy last season, it was still considered a promising campaign for the club. The team played good football under Mikel Arteta, with Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, and William Saliba standing out. Arsenal has started preparing for the new season, signing three promising players Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber, and England’s Declan Rice, from Chelsea,  Ajax, and West Ham, respectively.

Arsenal’s Saka reveals Cristiano Ronaldo as Boyhood hero

Cristiano Ronaldo has had a strong impact on football. Many young players looked up to him growing up, some of whom include Kylian Mbappe, Marcus Rashford, and, as recently admitted, Bukayo Saka. In a recent Q&A with the club’s new signing Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka revealed his boyhood hero was Cristiano Ronaldo.

Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz fire questions at one another 🎤 pic.twitter.com/MFlKWz2EZM

— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) July 22, 2023

The players took turns to ask each other 20 questions and one of the questions that popped up during the session was directed to Saka. “Who is your boyhood hero?” Havertz asked. “Cristiano Ronaldo,” the Englishman answered.

This may have come as a surprise for many Arsenal fans who may have expected the youngster to choose from a list of Arsenal legends, including Theirry Henry, Roberto Pires, or Freddie Ljungberg.

Marcus Rashford also praised Ronaldo in a similar fashion in an interview with Gary Neville on the Overlap Show, “Last-minute penalty to save your life – who’s taking it,” the Manchester United legend asked. Without any hesitation, United’s No. 10 quickly answered, “Cristiano Ronaldo.”

Marcus Rashford really trusts Cristiano Ronaldo's penalties 🤝 pic.twitter.com/frg68NoAc2

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 25, 2023

Arsenal claims thrilling win over Barcelona

Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka turned up for his team in a thrilling 5-3 win over reigning La Liga Champions Barcelona in their United States tour. This was Arsenal’s second win in the United States in three games after defeating the MLS All-Star 5-0 before losing to Manchester United in a crunch 2-0 game.

Bukayo Saka scored Arsenal’s first goal against Barcelona in the 13th minute after Lewandowski had done the same for Barcelona only five minutes earlier. Kai Havertz, Leandro Trossard, and Fabio Vieira scored the other Arsenal goals to record a 5-3 win over Barcelona.