The England international had initially been named on the bench to face Wigan in the FA Cup, but was a late call-up after Riccardo Calafiori picked up an injury in the warm-up.
Saka featured in midfield for the first time since April 2021 in a role he has done thrived in for five of his near 300 matches for the club.
Speaking after the game, Arteta revealed that this new role could suit the 24-year-old who has just 4 goals and 3 assists in 22 Premier League games this season.
"That’s something that’s a possibility and I wanted to try it, and we might use it in the future," Arteta said. "There are still so many games, competitions and different scenarios to play in this season, and that’s a possibility that we have.
"Well, he's more central, he's closer to the goal. It's a bit more difficult for the opponent to get his reference constantly. He can interchange positions with a wide player as well, and he’s so good at picking those spaces. When he’s there, he can really hurt you with the ball."
With Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz struggling so badly with injuries this season, Saka could step up under Arteta, who was clearly impressed by the winger even if League One Wigan wasn’t the hardest test for him to face.
Saka is unlikely to become a regular in midfield but he could feature there more this season, especially as his time on the wing this season has been less than impressive.