Arsenal's Premier League season got off to the perfect start on Saturday lunchtime, but Mikel Arteta's new-look side didn't have it all their own way against a dogged and determined Nottingham Forest.
Expectation is high in north London after last season's surprise title challenge, with new signings Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber expected to push Arteta's side on to challenge Manchester City once more.
All three started in the 2-1 win over Forest at the Emirates Stadium, yet it was a familiar face who stood head and shoulders above the rest to guide Arsenal to an important three points against a resilient Forest side who came close to snatching a draw. Martin Odegaard was impressive and Gabriel Martinelli electrifying at times, sure, but the spotlight once again shone on the brilliant Bukayo Saka.
Rewind to England's delayed Euro 2020 campaign and there was bemusement from many at Gareth Southgate's picking of a then 19-year-old Saka in some of the Three Lions' biggest games. You can probably remember the reaction when Gianluigi Donnarumma saved his penalty to hand Italy victory in that dramatic final at Wembley.
But nobody would bat an eyelid, some 24 months on, at Saka standing up, assuming responsibility and delivering in the big moments now. It's probably too cliché to call that penalty heartache a sliding doors moment given his career is so young, but you do wonder if that miss, and the subsequent fall-out, has helped the Ealing-born winger become the player he is today.
Not only is Saka one of Arsenal's best and most important players, he's also one of the Premier League's and Europe's. Hell, it wouldn't be remiss to say that Saka is now a world class winger operating at the very highest level of football.
He'll face tougher challenges than the clash with Nottingham Forest, that goes without saying. But given it was only Saka's second competitive outing of the season after last weekend's Community Shield win, it was still pretty impressive to see him hit his stride so quickly. He looked a threat each and every time he received the ball, darting to the byline and cutting back inside, and was the driving force of each Arsenal attack.
Ola Aina must have been wondering what he'd done to deserve coming up against Saka and Odegaard on his debut, though Forest's new signing from Torino stuck to his task well. But he, as so many have found out over the past two years, learned that it only takes a split-second of quality for a player at the very top of the game to take a match away from you.
That's exactly what happened just after the half-hour mark at the Emirates. Saka collected William Saliba's short, simple pass, shifted the ball inside on to his favoured left foot, and arched an unstoppable effort past former team-mate Matt Turner into the top corner. It was postage stamp stuff from Saka and a goal that had north London purring for the remainder of the half.
It was beautiful to look at, elegant in its execution yet at the same time so simple. It was such a natural strike of the ball from Saka and, judging by his celebration, business as usual. That's what Saka expects from himself now, such is his consistently high level of performance.
The Champions League will provide further evidence of Saka's standing in the game - a real litmus test if you will. But make no mistake about it, this is a player who has no fear of rubbing shoulders with Europe's best and this is no player who needs to justify his ability. Saka is the present and the future of Arsenal, and with him in their side anything is possible.
There's a fascination and obsession in the modern game with statistics, centred around goals and assists, and a player's ability is often underpinned by his output. Luckily, Saka not only passes the eye test, but his number stack up too. 25 goals and 18 assists his return over the past two Premier League seasons, 43 goal contributions in all - not bad for a kid who was playing left wing-back when he first got into Arsenal's side.
Those numbers will continue soaring at a exponential rate, such is the quality of Arsenal's side, but Saka will be the star of the show. He was against Forest and will be time and time again.
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This article was originally published on 90min as Make no mistake about it, Bukayo Saka is undeniably world class.
