Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was impressed with midfielder Bukayo Saka’s display in their 1-0 victory at Brighton & Hove Albion on Tuesday night but said it was important not to expect too much too soon from the English teenager.
Saka, who scored in Arsenal’s 3-1 win against Chelsea on Saturday, was a constant threat against Brighton and set up Alexandre Lacazette’s 66th minute winner. The 19-year-old made his England debut in October after a breakthrough 2019-20 season and has been a rare bright spark in Arsenal’s turbulent campaign.
The win lifted Arsenal to 13th on 20 points and eased some of the pressure on Spaniard Arteta after a rocky run of seven games without a win had left them only four points above the relegation zone. “I would like everybody to be cautious and let him be and let him develop. I think he’s having the right progression,” Arteta told reporters of Saka.
“I think he’s got the right people around him in his house in his entourage. And he’s got the right teammates as well to support him all the time, give him confidence, keep his feet on the floor. And hopefully we can be the right coaches around him, be the right club to see the player that he can be in the future.”
Tuesday’s win was Arsenal’s first back-to-back league victories since the opening two games of the season and Arteta said it should give the players more belief. 
“You need the results to start confidence and now with two wins, I think everyone is in a much better mood,” Arteta said. “The best medicine is wins — it’s a different world and a different story. The picture looks much better at the moment.”
Arteta praised French striker Lacazette for ignoring a back injury to come off the bench and score the winner at Brighton as the Londoners finally seemed to get the blend of youth and experience right.
Lacazette came on in the second half to change the game, teeing up Saka’s pass with his first touch before scoring with his second to secure a 1-0 win that ends a difficult year on a positive note for the Gunners.
“I think this is what all the managers dream for, to bring people from the bench and win you the game like he’s done tonight,” Arteta said. “I think he’s been in really good form in the last few weeks, he’s been scoring goals, he’s full of confidence. Today he had a sore back, he could not start the game. But he came on and won the game for us which is massively important,” he added.
Having secured consecutive wins for the first time since September, the Spanish coach is hoping his side can kick on in the New Year. “We have managed through this period to maintain our team spirit and our cohesion. Sometimes that is not easy to do, because obviously the frustration that comes out with defeats usually affects the team,” Arteta explained. “Hopefully now we can go on a run of games and be more positive for that.”
Arteta said Arsenal’s January transfer business will not change due to Gunners’ past two results. Asked if back-to-back wins for only the second time this season in the league would affect the urgency to make moves in the coming transfer window, Arteta replied: “No, the last few results won’t change our approach to the window.”
The Arsenal manager was asked specifically about the prospect of signing out-of-favour Real Madrid playmaker Isco but added: “Obviously we cannot talk about individual players.”