Mikel Arteta backs Bukayo Saka to respond after Arsenal winger missed a penalty against West Ham 

Mikel Arteta has backed Bukayo Saka to step up and take Arsenal’s next penalty after the winger missed a crucial spot-kick in Sunday’s draw at West Ham.

Saka had the chance to put Arsenal 3-1 up seven minutes into the second half, following Michail Antonio’s handball, only to miss his first spot-kick since the Euro 2020 final with England.

Two minutes later, West Ham completed their comeback from 2-0 down, with Jarrod Bowen earning a point for David Moyes’ side.

Saka’s could prove a pivotal miss in the race for the title, with Arsenal now only four points clear of Manchester City having played a game more.

But Arteta insisted: ‘If I had to pick one player to do it, it would be him again. In that moment we missed it and this is football.’

Arteta will keep faith with Saka as Arsenal’s main penalty taker despite his miss from the spot

The manager added that Saka must bounce back in ‘the same way the team has to respond’.

He said: ‘If you are prepared to take responsibility of penalties, you have to be prepared that in that package the possibility to miss is 100 per cent. At some point you’re going to miss.

‘You have be able to react to that after. If you cannot do that then you cannot be a penalty taker. Bukayo has been through that and he will go through that again.’

This draw means West Ham are now four points clear of the relegation zone – with a game in hand on many of their rivals – and manager David Moyes praised his players’ ‘effort’ and ‘character’ to peg back the league leaders.

West Ham boss David Moyes was pleased with the spirit his side showed against Arsenal

‘We’re pleased, the players are pleased because it was a big result. Of course you want to win, but getting a draw today, especially after being 2-0 down, is an excellent result,’ he said.

Moyes admitted that he feared for his side after they fell two goals behind inside 10 minutes.

After Saka sent his spot-kick wide, however, the West Ham boss thought his side could have won the game.

‘Whenever you go 2-0 down to a team who is leading the league, you are saying: ‘My goodness, this could go against us’ he said.

‘We got that little bit of good fortune with the missed penalty and we went on to grow and we went up the pitch and scored. There was periods after that where I quite fancied us to get a third one.’