Thomas Tuchel has given Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke an extra day before they join England on Saturday. He also told them Arsenal should be proud of their first Premier League title in 22 years, after they were crowned champions when Manchester City failed to beat Bournemouth in the penultimate game of the campaign.
Tuchel did not dress up the European disappointment. He said Arsenal went toe-to-toe with the best team in the world, pushed the Champions League final to a penalty shootout and had no reason to be overly disappointed. That is a fairly generous reading, but it is hard to argue with the core point: a title, then a final that went the distance, is still a strong season.
Why Tuchel softened the blow
The England manager said he had not spoken to the players because they had already had plenty of messages and conversations around them. His line was to leave them alone for one more day, let the weight of the title settle and then bring them into camp on Saturday.
He was even more direct about the title itself. Tuchel said the Premier League was the big target and the main target, and that Arsenal's players should feel proud of what they achieved. For a group that had just been through a season built around a league push and a European final, that is the cleaner message.
There is no need to overcomplicate the football side. Arsenal finished first in the league with 82 points, and the title context gives Tuchel's praise some real weight. He also said he saw pictures and heard messages that the players were happy to come and in good spirits.
Saka's week stretches beyond England duty
Saka's week has another layer too, with a new documentary, Bukayo Saka: The Time is Now, set to premiere on Disney+ this month and released on June 5. In the film, Saka says it has given him the chance to tell his story in a way he never has before, including the support system behind his career.
The numbers behind that story are significant. Since joining the senior squad in July 2019, Saka has made 312 appearances and scored 81 goals across all competitions. That is the sort of output that makes a documentary feel earned rather than decorative.
Tuchel's intervention was not a grand statement, just a sensible one. Saka and his Arsenal team-mates get a day to breathe, then England get them on Saturday. The bigger issue now is whether the quartet carry the title momentum cleanly into international duty, not whether they need another lecture about the final.
FAQ
Why did Thomas Tuchel tell Arsenal's England players to relax before joining up?
Tuchel told [Bukayo Saka](player:bukayo-saka), [Declan Rice](player:declan-rice), [Eberechi Eze](player:eberechi-eze) and [Noni Madueke](player:noni-madueke) to be proud of what they achieved with [Arsenal](club:arsenal). He said the Premier League title was the main target, and that the Champions League final defeat was close enough that there was no need to be overly disappointed.
When will Bukayo Saka and the Arsenal players join England?
Tuchel confirmed that [Bukayo Saka](player:bukayo-saka), [Declan Rice](player:declan-rice), [Eberechi Eze](player:eberechi-eze) and [Noni Madueke](player:noni-madueke) will join [England](club:england) on Saturday after extra time off. They were left alone for one more day before linking up with the squad.
What did Thomas Tuchel say about Arsenal's Champions League final defeat?
Tuchel said [Arsenal](club:arsenal) went toe-to-toe with the best team in the world at the moment and took them the full length to a penalty shootout. His view was that there was no need to be overly disappointed, and he expected the players to arrive in good spirits.
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