Graeme Souness has publicly branded Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka a "cheat," accusing him of diving and deceiving referees. The comments came during an explosive appearance on Piers Morgan's Football Uncensored, where Souness claimed Saka goes to ground too easily and that Arsenal players pressure officials into making wrong decisions.
Souness, a former Liverpool and Rangers captain, argued that Saka, who is the second-most fouled player in the Premier League this season with 21 fouls behind Elliot Anderson's 23, should stay on his feet instead of exaggerating contact. The criticism follows Saka being accused of diving again in Arsenal's 1-0 win against Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
Souness's Explosive Accusations
"Your man Saka dives all over the place. I don't want to hear about him. The minute he looks like losing possession, he's down," Souness said. "He simulates a foul. Anyone who simulates a foul in my book would be a cheat."
He added: "He dives when he should be staying on his feet. He's not alone. So Saka gets tackled, he screams as he's going down. The referee thinks there's nothing in that but wait a minute, he's stayed down. And then worse than that, everyone in the immediate area - all Arsenal players - put their hands up and scream foul."
Referee Pressure and Past Incidents
Souness described how referees react under pressure: "The referee at that point panics and blows his whistle when it wasn't a foul - his first instinct was the right one. But he blows a foul because he's thinking, wait a minute, something I'm not understanding here."
Saka faced similar criticism during a Champions League quarter-final tie against Bayern Munich in 2024, when he went down after contact from Manuel Neuer, but referee Glenn Nyberg waved away appeals. Souness's latest comments left Arsenal fan and show host Piers Morgan incensed.
Upcoming Fixtures for Arsenal
Arsenal's next match is away to Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday. They then face Everton in the Premier League on Saturday, followed by a Carabao Cup trip to Fleetwood Town three days later. The Gunners have six more matches in less than three weeks before the next international break.
