Rio Ferdinand praises the winger as he rises to the ranks of elite players.

Rio Ferdinand has hailed Bukayo Saka’s performance in securing Arsenal’s place in the UEFA Champions League semi-final, asserting that it has elevated him into the ranks of “world-class” players.

After a missed penalty in the first half, the young winger responded with a delightful chip over Thibaut Courtois, giving The Gunners the lead on the night and a commanding four-goal advantage on aggregate.

Vinicius Junior quickly equalised for the hosts, but it proved to be a mere consolation as Saka’s goal capped off a thoroughly dominant display from Mikel Arteta’s side over the two legs.

“Saka, in terms of defining and being decisive,” Ferdinand remarked. “I’ve debated it quite a lot over the years about, ‘Is he world-class?’ 100%. A world-class footballer who will decide matches now for the rest of his career at the top level.”

He continued, “They’ve come out on top today. It’s only one game over two games, I get that. But it’s a chance to think, ‘Okay, I’m at the top table, and I’m actually sat here comfortably, and overshadowed the people that were meant to be better than me.’ It’s a great confidence boost.”

Martin Keown also praised Saka, highlighting the winger’s significant impact following his recent return from injury.

“You look at the context we put it into, without a striker,” he said. “Havertz injured, Jesus out, Saka 101 days or so to get him back. He comes back just in time, just two weeks ago, and he’s performing like this, it’s incredible.”

Keown added, “But the team performance really stood out, the low-block. The two wingers. I think Martinelli and Saka deserve a big mention; with the tenure for Arteta, they really have stood up for him, and tonight it was fitting that they scored the two goals.”

He concluded, “There’s some way to go, PSG next, let’s bring it on. But they’re a very healthy team at the moment. Arsenal will go again; they need to secure the Premier League to get back here again next year, but this is a fantastic night for them.”

Arsenal thoroughly outplayed the defending champions over the two legs, with both Saka and Declan Rice firmly establishing themselves as world-class players.

Earlier in the season, Arteta’s side had dispatched PSG 2-0 in the league phase, but the Parisians have since emerged as potential favourites in the competition.