Bukayo Saka agreement reached as Jack Grealish makes argument ahead of Arsenal clash

Jack Grealish and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall have decided who is the more skilful out of Iliman Ndiaye and Arsenal star Bukayo Saka

Everton duo Jack Grealish and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall are in agreement that teammate Iliman Ndiaye is the most skilful player in the Premier League, even more so than Arsenal ’s Bukayo Saka.

Ndiaye has been a revelation for the Toffees following his move from Marseille in the summer of 2024. In his 55 appearances across all competitions so far, he has scored 15 goals and registered two assists.

However, according to his teammates, it is not just the numbers that place him among the very best in the Premier League. His technical flair and ability to control the ball in tight spaces, anywhere on the pitch, make him a standout.

When expressing their view on Ndiaye’s brilliance, Grealish and Dewsbury-Hall used Arsenal’s Saka as a direct comparison. While acknowledging the winger’s status as one of the elite players in world football, they insisted he is not as skilful as Ndiaye.

"Ndiaye is the most skilful player in the Premier League," Grealish claimed on the Stan Sport Podcast. "In terms of pure skill, yeah.

"I'm not sitting here saying, oh yeah, he could be the best, but skilful. Saka, for example, is so good, one of the best wingers in the world. But he's not skilful."

Dewsbury-Hall agreed with his teammate’s assessment, this time using Chelsea ’s Cole Palmer as an example. The midfielder added: "Yeah, but see, Cole... Cole's like... In terms of pure skill, like, you ain't gonna see Cole doing skills like anywhere, so I'm feeling that. Cole's just more silky and moving his body."

Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku was another name brought into the conversation, with Grealish having played alongside the Belgian international prior to joining Everton on loan in the summer. "Like, Doku, for example, you wouldn't put him in, like, I don't know, a small five-a-side pitch," Grealish concluded.

"But Ndiaye wouldn't even need that space at all. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No matter where he's in. He's just in and out, whereas Doku, like, you know, might need a bit of space for his, like, pace and stuff. Saka as well."

Arsenal face Everton this weekend in the Premier League as they bid to retain their place at the top of the table. Recent results have allowed Manchester City to close the gap, with just two points separating first and second after 16 games.

The Toffees, meanwhile, sit ninth in the standings and are four points outside the top four. That said, the Gunners have not won any of their last five meetings with the Merseyside outfit, drawing twice and losing three times during that run.

Their last victory against Everton came in the 2022/23 season, when they scraped a narrow 1-0 away win in the Premier League.