Souness targets Saka over Forest incident, questioning Arsenal’s influence on referees

Graeme Souness has turned Arsenal’s win over Nottingham Forest into a debate about Bukayo Saka’s conduct and whether players’ reactions can sway a referee. The former Liverpool figure accused the Arsenal winger of simulation and called him a “cheat” over a challenge involving Neco Williams.

Williams was cautioned for bringing Saka down. Metro reported that contact was minimal, while Souness argued that Saka exaggerated the challenge and that Arsenal players around him pressured the referee. Those are Souness’s claims, not a finding by the official.

Speaking on Piers Morgan’s Football Uncensored show, Souness said: “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.” He added: “He simulates a foul. Anyone who simulates a foul in my book would be a cheat.”

Souness also said the referee’s first instinct was that no foul had occurred, but that Arsenal players raising their hands and shouting led him to blow the whistle. He described simulation as widespread in modern football and named it, alongside VAR, as something supporters dislike about the game. Metro reported that host Piers Morgan was outraged by the comments.

There is a counterpoint in Saka’s record: Metro noted that he regularly features among the Premier League’s most-fouled players. That does not settle what happened in this particular challenge, but it adds context to Souness’s broader accusation. His criticism goes beyond Saka, questioning whether Arsenal players collectively try to influence decisions when an opponent goes down.

The distinction matters. Williams was cautioned, but Souness’s account of the incident and the referee’s thinking is his interpretation; the comments do not change the result against Forest. They have, however, placed Saka’s response to contact and Arsenal’s appeals under public scrutiny.

Arsenal are second with 18 points from seven league games, having won six and lost one. Their next match is at home to Everton on Saturday, 24 October, at 15:00 BST. For Arsenal, the immediate test is back on the pitch; the argument raised by Souness is whether appeals around a challenge are becoming part of the spectacle as much as the decision itself.