In a performance that reaffirmed his growing importance at Arsenal, Bukayo Saka came under the spotlight once again, and this time earned glowing praise from pundit Jamie Redknapp, who described the England international as “irreplaceable.”

The accolade arrived after Arsenal’s gritty 1-0 win over Fulham, where Saka’s influence transcended statistics.

Redknapp said that despite other strong performers in the squad, Saka’s presence and qualities stand head and shoulders above the rest.

Arsenal’s road trip to Craven Cottage was by no means perfect, Fulham’s compact shape gave the Gunners few chances, and chances that did come were hard to fashion.

However, Saka stood out. Entrusted with the captain’s armband in the absence of Martin Ødegaard, the 24-year-old took control of his role both on and off the field.

Arsenal star Bukayo Saka praised for his performance

Redknapp said on Sky Sports, as reported by GOAL:

“Don’t get me wrong, of course, they’ve got players who can play on that side but he is the man. And that’s what I’m talking about when I talk about being a leader today.”

The pundit added: “He’s not a Tony Adams as a captain, but he took the game by the scruff of the neck when the team was struggling and they...