Scholes Reckons Saka "Adrift" at Arsenal After Wembley Heartbreak to City

Paul Scholes has weighed in on Arsenal's struggles following their Carabao Cup final loss to Manchester City, singling out Bukayo Saka as a player who "looks lost at the minute" under Mikel Arteta's management.

Manchester City claimed the trophy on Sunday with a 2-0 victory at Wembley, courtesy of two Nico O'Reilly finishes. While Arsenal still harbour ambitions this season, the legendary midfielder believes the north Londoners have become fixated with set-piece tactics at the expense of more conventional attacking play.

Saka's recent output tells a concerning story for an elite-level winger. Two goals and a single assist across his last 16 matches represents a significant dip from the standards he ordinarily sets, and Scholes believes the problem runs deeper than individual performance.

"Their better players just weren't performing," Scholes explained on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast. "You talk about these forward players not performing but you have to look at your midfield players and your centre-halves, they couldn't get the ball to them."

The former Manchester United star drew a peculiar parallel to the long-throw tactics of old, referencing Stoke City's notorious Rory Delap era. "It's almost like playing against Stoke what we did years ago, sometimes because the throw-ins were that good the manager told us to kick it out for a corner because of Delap, because the delivery is not as good."

Scholes contends Arsenal have lost sight of alternative routes to goal. "I think they've become obsessed with it. They've forgot about the other way that they can actually score goals. They've got good players. You've got Saka who looks lost at the minute because they can't get the ball to him, more than anything, he's got great ability."

Arsenal currently sit nine points clear atop the Premier League, with the FA Cup and Champions League still within reach. Yet Scholes has issued a warning about City's trajectory, particularly following Rodri's commanding display at Wembley.

"I think that's the best he has looked since he's come back from his injury," Scholes said of the Spanish midfielder. "If he carries on like that, they'll be unstoppable."

The international break could prove pivotal. Should City win their game in hand and overcome Arsenal, Scholes notes the gap would shrink to just three points. "You know what, if they win the game in hand and beat Arsenal, it's only three points all of a sudden. That'll give them massive confidence," he concluded.