Eddie Nketiah - Seizing Opportunities

In the very first week of 2020 Eddie Nketiah returned to training with Arsenal after his frustrating Loan spell with Leeds Utd. It took him two weeks of training to show new boss Mikel Arteta that he was serious about making an impact with Arsenal. A possibility that Arteta had probably not considered too often as the plan at that time was for Nketiah to return to championship on loan. Bristol City were convinced they had the deal in the bag. So what happened in that two week period that altered the thinking of the Spaniard? He found a different Eddie Nketiah to the one he was expecting, one full of workrate, energy and profound commitment to improving and understanding what his coach requires. This infectious nature embodied the culture that Arteta was striving to change at Arsenal. By two weeks Mikel knew he rated Eddie, by one month he knew he needed Eddie.

Nketiah has always been a reliable goalscorer at every level he's ever played, but it's acknowledged at the bigger clubs this isn't always enough. He's a quick number 9 that loves to play off the last shoulder and sniff out chances in the box, his instincts for goal have always been predatory. These features will forever be his Modus Operandi, however the adaptation of his game really helped enamour the striker to fit the mould of Arsenal's intensive press. His drive and desire to effectively use his energy to win the ball high was asset to behold.

The England youth international made his return against Sheffield Utd, but it was the FA cup tie against Bournemouth that really showed Eddie could succeed against Premier League opposition by scoring with a tidy finish from a fantastic Bukayo Saka cross. This convinced Arteta to thrust Nketiah into a starting position for league games, he rewarded this faith by giving Arsenal the lead in a win against Everton, this goal was a deft finish supplied again by the exceptional Saka. Not long after another FA cup game saw him poach a goal against Portsmouth. The next goal typified what Nketiah can bring to this team, hunting down the goalkeeper to steal to ball and score against Southampton in Arsenals first win of the restart, it was a goal that helped set us on a very positive path. One in which Eddie has continued into the new season, already contributing most notably with the winner in a difficult game against West Ham. 

As a young player who thrives off finding the back of the net, Arsenal isn't the only place he's caught the eye, his scoring record in the England Youth Setup is somewhat astonishing. In the last 4 years he has appeared for England U18,19s,20s and 21s, scoring a grand total of 31 goals in 31 games. He currently needs one goal to equal Alan Shearers record of 13 goals for the U21s.

Another place he showed his prowess in front of goal was Elland Road, in what could be described as a interesting loan spell which holds a certain amount of ambivalence upon reflection. Some games Eddie would play well and score but would then find himself benched for the next game whilst the coach showed enormous faith in the struggling Patrick Bamford. The coach in question is one of the most influential coaches in the world, the enigmatic Marcelo Bielsa. The Argentine favoured a striker in Bamford, who would work for the team and breathe energy into the front line, never giving defenders a moments rest. It became abundantly clear to Eddie he would have to truly invest in these principles to stake a claim in this team. Nketiah worked hard in training under Bielsa's guidance, he had certainly not given up on his battle in Yorkshire and Leeds certainly wanted him to remain but it was Arsenal who ended the agreement and returned Eddie to North London. It was clear this experience had impacted on Eddie and he came back into training with even more desire and commitment to prove he could be a part of Arteta's plans.

So why is the Hale End graduate so underrated by our fans, is it because he doesn't quite possess the technical ability of a Greenwood or the directness of a Martinelli? Possibly so, however there is a lot  about Eddie to admire, whilst his style as a box finisher maybe old fashioned by todays standards, scoring goals will never go off trend. His coldness in the box is a attribute we have been wanting since the disaster that was Francis Jeffers. A striker to have in our ranks that will not focus on trying to score the perfect goal or produce the spectacular, what he brings is a knowledge of exploiting any pockets of space in the box with perfect timing and ruthless finishing.

Eddie Nketiah is certainly one of our own but it's well known his story began elsewhere in London, at the age of 14, the striker made the move to North London after the Willock Brothers would not stop raving about him always scoring against us. The goals flowed quickly and it wasn't long before Eddie was playing for the U18s.  He was highly prolific for U18s,19s and U23s scoring 46 times in 58 games. This didn't go unnoticed by Arsene Wenger who gave him his debut against Bate Borisov in the Europa League. A month later Wenger would bring him off the bench in the League Cup against Norwich and Nketiah would his a big impact scoring two decisive goals to introduce himself to Arsenal fans everywhere.

There is still much for Eddie to improve upon and he'll want to further develop his link up play and his strength to hold the ball up. One underestimated aspect of his re-integration is how his form has pushed Alex Lacazette to rediscover some of his. Arteta loves to test players to see how they react and the Frenchman has certainly responded positively. With Eddie and Laca pushing each other everyday it can only result in positive results for Arsenal. If the game against West Ham showed us anything it was that Eddie only needs one opportunity to change a game. It's a quality we need, especially when games can be so tight and sometimes so tense without the interaction of fans.

Nketiah is here to seize the opportunities that come his way and its about time he's given the full appreciation from our fans, he doesn't need to be constantly compared to other strikers. Lets appreciate what we have. Another gem from the Hale End.