Rashford Vs Saka: who is the better forward at the moment?

Rashford Vs Saka: who is the better forward at the moment?

Steve Njuguna
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:26 PM
In this article:
Bukayo Saka logo
B.Saka
Arsenal logoFEngland logo
English Premier League logo
ENG Premier League
England
Marcus Rashford logo
M.Rashford
Manchester United logoFEngland logo
FIFA World Cup logo
FIFA World Cup
International

The English national team is currently experiencing a golden generation of forwards, with the likes of Harry Kane, Jadon Sancho, Jack Grealish and James Maddison all playing at a high level. Two names have stood out in the past few seasons; Marcus Rashford of Manchester United and Bukayo Saka of Arsenal. Today we compare the two players and see who is the better forward.

Today we discuss Rashford Vs Saka: Who is the better forward at the moment?
Today we discuss Rashford Vs Saka: Who is the better forward at the moment? Photo by Matthew Peters/Manchester United
Source: Getty Images

Rashford and Saka are mainly utilised as wide players due to their pace and trickery. The debate on who is better is fuelled by the fact that they are each critical players for their respective teams in the battle for top honours in the English Premier League. They also fight for the same position in the starting lineup at the national team level.

Player profiles

Aside from his work on the football pitch, Marcus Rashford is known for his activism and work in underprivileged communities.

Name

Marcus Rashford

Date of birth

31 October 1997

Age

25 (2023)

Place of birth

Manchester, England

Height in metres

1.80 m

Height in feet

5 ft 11

Playing position

Forward

Current team

Manchester United

Professional debut season

2015-16

Social media

Twitter, Instagram

Rashford vs Saka career stats
Marcus Rashford has played all his club career at Marcus Rashford so far. Photo by Lewis Storey
Source: Getty Images

Bukayo Saka was born in London to Nigerian parents. He has been part of the Arsenal set-up since he was 8.

Name

Bukayo Ayoyinka Saka

Date of birth

5 September 2001

Age

21 (2023)

Place of birth

Ealing, England

Height in feet

5 ft 10

Height in metres

1.78 m

Playing position

Forward

Current team

Arsenal

Professional debut season

2018-19

Social media

Twitter, Instagram

Rashford vs Saka head to head

The two have played against each other a total of 6 times since 2019. Saka has had the upper hand in terms of wins with 3. Rashford has won twice, while they have drawn once. During their meetings, Rashford has had the better statistics with three goals and three assists, while Saka has had two goals and one assist.

Rashford vs Saka head to head
Bukayo has won more of his head to head encounters with Rashford. Photo by Shaun Botterill
Source: Getty Images

Rashford vs Saka: market value

According to transfermarkt.com, Marcus Rashford is valued at 55 million sterling pounds, and Bukayo is valued at 100 million sterling pounds.

Rashford vs Saka: career stats

Since his professional debut during the 2015/16 season, Marcus has made a total of 321 appearances in all competitions. Bukayo started playing in 2018, and he has made 169 career appearances. Here is the complete list of their statistics for both club and country.

Category

Marcus Rashford

Bukayo Saka

Appearances

321

169

Goals

109

38

Assists

42

33

Yellow Cards

25

20

Red Cards

1

0

Rashford vs Saka career stats
Despite all the comparisons, the two are good friends while playing for England on international duty. Photo by Eddie Keogh
Source: Getty Images

Rashford vs Saka: Premier League stats

Both players have played their whole domestic careers in the English Premier league.

Category

Marcus Rashford

Bukayo Saka

Appearances

228

121

Goals

73

26

Assists

35

23

Wins

120

65

Losses

47

34

Rashford vs Saka: England stats

Rashford made his senior debut for England on 27th May 2016 in a friendly match against Australia. Bukayo Saka made his senior bow for England on 1st October 2020 against Wales. This is how they have both performed for the national side so far.

Category

Marcus Rashford

Bukayo Saka

Debut

27th May 2016 vs Australia

1st October 2020 vs Wales

Goals

15

7

Assists

5

6

International tournaments

Euro 2016, Euro 2020, 2018 FIFA World Cup, 2022 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Nations League

UEFA Nations League, Euro 2020, 2022 FIFA World Cup

Caps

51

24

Rashford vs Saka: World cup goals

Rashford has played at two world cups in 2018 and 2022, while Bukayo has only played in the 2022 tournament. They both have two goals at the global showpiece.

Rashford vs Saka: celebration

Marcus' trademark celebration is a salute to his temple after every goal he scores.

Bukayo's preferred celebration is hanging on the corner flag. He chose this celebration to pay tribute to Arsenal and France icon Thierry Henry.

Rashford and Saka: racial abuse

During the Euro 2020 final between England and Italy, both Rashford and Saka missed crucial penalties. Alongside teammate Jadon Sancho who also missed a penalty, they were subjected to racist abuse on social media by angry fans. Authorities investigated the incident, and several arrests were made.

Rashford and Saka have been in hot form for both club and country. Both players are relatively young, and it will be interesting to see who will dominate this encounter in the future.

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Authors
Steve Njuguna photo
Steve Njuguna
Steve Njuguna is a media professional with close to a decade of experience in the sports media industry. He has previously worked as a sports journalist with Bamba Sports TV, Vybez Radio and The Nairobian newspaper.