Arsenal beat Leeds United yesterday evening by a 2-0 scoreline, and the manager moved to praise goalscorer Eddie Nketiah.
The 22 year-old was enjoying a rare outing in the senior side last night having missed the opening weeks of the campaign with injury, and impressed once again when given the chance.
The Gunners have predominantly relied on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as their central option in attack, while Alexandre Lacazette has earned the right to be considered as a first-team regular after also missing the start of the season after contracting the Coronavirus, limiting the chances of young Eddie thus far.
Arteta has praised his young striker however for showing consistency when called upon this season and for his attitude.
“He’s been scoring goals every time we use him,” Arteta told media after the final whistle(via Arsenal.com).
“His attitude has been top drawer. Again, he hasn’t had many minutes. He’s a very humble person but has a big hunger inside himself and I’m delighted for him.”
Back in September, I claimed that Nketiah was gearing up for a big season, and he hasn’t failed to impress in any of his outings when given the chance. In pre-season, he was putting in a string of performances before his injury, and now has two in two in the EFL Cup, and I really believe that he will take his chance in the Premier League when Arteta finally gives him his chance.
He has shown that he is well ahead of both Martinelli and Balogun at present in my eyes, and I believe Arteta could convince him to stay if he just gives him minutes, playing time that I believe he deserves.
Am I alone in believing that Nketiah deserves another chance to make his mark in the division?
Patrick