Souness Accuses Arsenal Forward Saka of Diving After Forest Win

Former Liverpool captain Graeme Souness has accused Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka of exaggerating contact and attempting to win fouls through simulation following Arsenal's 1-0 Premier League victory over Nottingham Forest on Sunday. Speaking on Piers Morgan's Football Uncensored show on October 20, 2026, Souness also criticized Arsenal players for allegedly pressuring referees to influence their decisions.

The dispute followed an incident involving Nottingham Forest defender Neco Williams, who received a yellow card for a challenge on Saka despite what reports described as minimal contact. Souness argued that the England international frequently goes to ground too easily, even when he could remain on his feet.

According to the Mirror, Saka had been fouled 21 times in the Premier League that season, making him the second-most-fouled player in the competition behind Elliot Anderson, who had drawn 23 fouls.

During the television discussion, Souness explained why he believed Saka's reactions could affect refereeing decisions.

"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 simulates a foul. Anyone who simulates a foul in my book would be a cheat. He dives when he should be staying on his feet.

He’s not alone. So Saka gets tackled, he screams as he’s going down. The referee thinks there’s nothing in that but wait a minute, he’s stayed down.

And then worse than that, everyone in the immediate area – all Arsenal players – put their hands up and scream foul. The referee at that point panics and blows his whistle when it wasn’t a foul – his first instinct was the right one. But he blows a foul because he’s thinking, wait a minute, something I’m not understanding here."

Souness said.

The former Scotland international maintained that exaggerated reactions to challenges were a wider problem in modern football. He also included the influence of video assistant referees, or VAR, among the issues that attract criticism from supporters.

"Simulation is a form of cheating, yes. But it’s all over football today. If you asked 100 people what is it you dislike about the modern game, 50 per cent would say simulation, another 50 per cent would say VAR." Souness said.

The remarks prompted a strong reaction from Morgan, an outspoken Arsenal supporter who challenged Souness over whether he was explicitly labeling Saka a cheat. According to GiveMeSport, the exchange became heated as the presenter questioned the former Liverpool captain about his accusation.

Saka has previously faced scrutiny over an incident during Arsenal's Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich in 2024. He went to ground after contact from Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, but referee Glenn Nyberg did not award a penalty.

Arsenal's victory over Nottingham Forest came as Mikel Arteta's side continued its 2026-27 campaign. The win was secured by Noni Madueke after Arsenal struggled to break through Forest's defense, according to GiveMeSport.

Arsenal were scheduled to travel to Bayern Munich for a Champions League match on Wednesday before facing Everton in the Premier League on Saturday. The club was also due to visit Fleetwood Town in the Carabao Cup three days later.