Could Lacazette injury give Nketiah the chance to shine again at Ostersund?

Arsenal may have given their fans great hope for the future by bringing in three top quality frontmen in Aubameyang, Mkhitaryan and Lacazette in the last six months, but circumstances have conspired to turn it into a nightmare for Gunners fans. The sales of Giroud and Walcott, and the loan of Akpom have left us with very few striker options and the unforeseen injury to Lacazette has suddenly highlighted our lack of cover in the striking department.

Arsene Wenger admits that the Frenchman’s injury came totally out of the blue. “He got a surprising swell of the knee after the game against Tottenham and he needed surgery very quick,” Wenger . “It’s a massive blow for us and we have to find a solution. Nobody could predict that.

“Football does unpredictable things and it’s always a good opportunity for someone to step in and do well.

“I think he recently must have felt something in his knee. Maybe that’s an explanation as to why he wasn’t scoring as many goals as he’s used to.”

So much for blaming a lack of confidence eh? Anyway now Arsene Wenger has just Danny Welbeck as or only recognised senior striker available for the Premier League, but the fact is that the ex-Man United man looks more like a winger nowadays and has never got anywhere near double figures for Arsenal in an entire season.

Wenger said this is “a good opportunity for someone to step in and do well” and I believe the Boss should use the inexperienced Eddie Nketiah. He singlehandedly got us past Norwich in the League Cup and has been scoring for fun for the U23’s. He got a hat-trick against Everton this week and scored twice against Man United a few weeks ago, which has seen him nominated for U23 player-of-the-moth by the Premier League. He has always scored at every level and oozes confidence.

The 18 year-old has often trained with the senior side and is very keen to get more chances to showcase his talent at the top-level. He said after the win over Man United reserves a few weeks ago. “It’s great to get to work with the first team so often, I feel better, sharper technically and I feel like I read the game better, so every time I go over there it helps me when I come back to the under-23s.

“Wherever I’m asked to play I will always work hard, train hard and play hard so that I’m impressing people. I’m just being patient and waiting for my chances, I’m confident I can take it when I get it.”

I feel confident also, and this should be his big chance against an Ostersund team made up of lower- and non-League English players, and I am sure he will make full use of this opportunity. Who would you prefer? Nketiah or Welbeck?

Darren N

23 Comments

  1. It’s the ideal excuse for not scoring! Well done Arsene Wenger. “I didn’t see it” it coming 🙂

    And you sold Jiroud to Chelski?!?! Oh, how we may need him now and lets face it, you have done this type of thing so many times before.

    It’s a shame Arsene Wenger doesn’t get a swollen knee. As you say Arsene, “always a good opportunity for someone to step in and do well”!!

    Finally, it will be interesting to see the team sheet for tomorrow (knowing this may be our only chance at CL next year)?

    1. Giroud has to leave to make sure his first team spot in France’s World Cup team. Besides, Arsenal have got the tall Aubameyang that is very good in the air

      1. Giroud had an exceptional goals per minute ratio so why not give him more time? Why?
        Because Wenger’s screwed up tactics didn’t work!!

        He’s a clueless old man fading away and he knows it..

  2. Poor Welbeck never got his chance to play as a striker for at least four games consecutively. He also has not gotten enough support from Arsenal creative midfielders (Ozil, Ramsey and Wilshere).

    I believe Welbeck could thrive like Vardy at Leicester or Griezmann at Atletico Madrid, if he plays under a good tactic. Wenger’s tactics do not make use his playing style well.

    Having said that, both Welbeck and Nketiah might be more useful as inverted wingers. If Arsenal play with a false nine tactic and if they have a skillful forward that can get the ball from the deeper position, Welbeck and Nketiah can surprise the opponents with their runs.

    1. You’ve forgotten one important fact, Vardy and Griezmann are clinical finishers, whereas Welbeck can’r even finish his dinner!

    2. No, just no.

      If you still think at age 27 (turns 28) that Welbeck can improve, then you need to look at again. All the clubs, I mean ALL OF THEM, he has been given chance after chance. And not once has he scored more than 10 goals.

      He will no thrive with different tactics, nor different manager. He’s a bench player AT BEST and has always been. Would probably start for lower table teams and cannot be trusted to score goals. It is clear as day.

      Nketiah on the other hand hasn’t been given chance yet. Well the few chances he’s been given he took really well.

      Nketiah > Welbeck

      1. 27 is not over the hill. Welbeck could go on for 5+ years with the standard of care that is available to modern players. The boy is a quality player and needs a break.

  3. Welbeck must start.He is more experienced and these games are always tricky.Play Danny from the start and bring Eddie on when Welbeck goes off with an injury after 10 minutes

  4. Welbeck must start up front. No question. His experience wins out
    His finishing isn’t great but he is all we have
    Girouds finishing is better but Welbeck is faster than Giroud
    I will never forget his winning goal at Old Trafford to knock United out of the FA Cup.
    Welbeck’s speed was important for that goal
    Hopefully he will score Thursday night

    Also, remember that any player can score. It doesn’t need to be the striker. It could be Mkhitaryan, Ramsey, Monreal, Xhaka etc. So hopefully we will play well as a team unit

    Let’s hope for a great night

    1. GB, would certainly strengthen the squad given recent sales, injury to Lacazette and Aubameyang being cup tied in Europe.

  5. Nketiah should start because he could be our future. We know what Welbeck can do, and we certainly know what he cannot do, and I expect him to be sold in the summer anyway, so we should blood some new talent.

  6. 27 is not over the hill. Welbeck could go on for 5+ years with the standard of care that is available to modern players. The boy is a quality player and needs a break.

  7. Nketiah? Good grief! Just a raw kid who is miles from the standard we need . And Wenger may have to play him. No disrespect to a fine mere PROSPECT, but he is hardly Aguero or Kane is he? Thanks to Mr Forward Planning Wenger then for this “delightful” situation. And if he is injured too ,well we are down to Sir Chips as next in line for striker. After all he went on STRIKE at our AGM just as REAL suppporters were asking – or trying to – pertinent questions about how our club is being misrun. WHAT A JOKE CLUB WE ARE THESE DAYS, RUN BY MISFITS, COULDN’T CARE LESS TYPES AND WE POOR MUGS ARE BEIING SHAFTED YEAR AFTER YEAR. This is precisely why I stopped gong last season after being a life long fan. I am just NOT going to hand over any more of my money while these present shysters and charletans are in charge. Or the manager – who is merely incompetant, arrogant and living in the past football millenium – rather than being actually crooked, like his bosses!

    1. Everyone is a ‘mere prospect’ until they are given a chance to step up from that reputation.
      Nketiah has a fine goalscoring record at every level he has played, if he was at Monaco then I bet he would be starting and we would soon be reading about how Barca or RM are willing to spend £50+ million on a ‘mere prospect’.

      He could fail to step up… Wenger hasn’t got many players to step up past the prospect area for a while.

      Cesc stepped up but look how he was trusted and a ‘mere prospect’ became a 1st choice starter…

      Before stepping back down, Bellerin stepped up after being given a chance and taking it for RB after the new international RB signing got injured. Debuchy must be hating that injury more than any other one he has had…

      Nketiah may not do it, he may though.

      Oh as for comparing him to Kane, Kane was given a chance at 18 (in spuds 1st team), 1 game. Next season (19) he got 19 games and scored 4 goals.

      Nketiah has been given 6 appearances for AFC and scored 2 goals. Better goal to game ratio than Kane at 18 or 19.

      If Nketiah keeps upping his game like he has since joining us from Chelsea then he may very well become just as good, or better, than Kane. He needs to be given some trust though.

  8. Nketiah for me all the way.
    He has a fantastic record so far in the games he does play, he knows how to score.
    He may not be the best build up play type of CF but he has pace, he knows how to use it and he knows how to read the game to put himself in the right spot. If he can continue to do that but in the 1st team then we could have a real gem on our hands with this lad.

    Welbeck has been given chances and not grabbed them well enough.

    Time to give Nketiah that chance this time and let his hunger to progress into the 1st team show.

  9. Perhaps give the lad a few premier games, even as sub, nothing to lose now, we ain’t coming fourth. Blud him in, and if he produces let him have a go in Europa. U23 is a long way from premier, but they all started somewhere.

  10. The only way to get into CL is to win the Europa League. So this is one match we have to take seriously. So for me we need to start with Wellz.
    I would rather Nketiah, AMN, Willock, Nelson play in the league where we have no chance of a top four finish and no chance to finish below 6th place. It is a fantastic opportunity for these youngsters to get some PL experience.

  11. Nketiah must start……..Welbeck can’t hit a barn from five feet…………and put John Jules on the bench……and bring back Akpom……….

  12. It does not matter who we start Wenger will destroy the team , if Nletiah starts he will probably score but one he starts scoring goals that’s when the delusional old dinosaur of a stubborn manager we have tried to be clever and kills his confidence by playing him in different positions . I am starting to hate that man Wenger..Get out of our CLUB NOW NOT NEXT Week BUT NOW OTHERWISE HE WILL RUING OUR CLUB EVEN MORE ..It’s not his money when buying transfers but he doesn’t whant to spend the right money to bring in the right players cos his so tight when he walks he squeaks the full how can anyone want to be somewhere if you are not wanted anymore …He doesn’t love the club He loves the ?????? he is earning

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