To be honest, Eddie Nketiah has never received absolute trust from Arsenal fans. Wearing the number 14 shirt on your back is an extremely big responsibility because it is the “treasure” of the North London team. It once belonged to the greatest striker in the club’s history, Thierry Henry.
Eddie Nketiah always tries his best for the team.
But Eddie Nketiah doesn’t care much about that pressure, just like how he ignored criticism from the fans when he switched from number 30 to 14. The 24-year-old striker trains hard every day, despite not being able to play. Not coach Mikel Arteta’s favorite choice in the “Gunners” attack.
Remember in the documentary All or Nothing: Arsenal, when Albert Sambi Lokonga “had a heavy face” because he could not play regularly, it was Eddie Nketiah who immediately corrected the Belgian midfielder. For him, the club’s interests must come first, even though it sometimes puts himself in difficulties.
In the third match of the Champions League group stage, Gabriel Jesus’ impressive performance helped Arsenal win all 3 points against home team Sevilla. That day, the Brazilian striker received the title of best player of the match, but he had a hamstring problem and is expected to need to sit out for a few weeks to fully recover.
If Gabriel Jesus has a durable physical condition, he will certainly be the main striker of coach Mikel Arteta, but because the former Manchester City player is too sensitive to injuries, even if he does not want to, the Western strategist Spain must also put their trust in Eddie Nketiah.
The striker born in 1999 was named in the starting lineup in the confrontation with Sheffield United last Saturday, in the context that Arsenal had no other viable option, even Eddie Nketiah did not score in six matches. The most recent match in the Premier League for the “Gunners”.
But then the England international was the best player in the match, with three goals against goalkeeper Wes Foderingham contributing to the home team’s crisp 5-0 victory. This is also Eddie Nketiah’s first hat trick in the country’s top tournament. Currently, the 24-year-old striker has 5 goals after 10 appearances in the Premier League this season.
Edddie Nketiah just had his first hat trick in the Premier League.
An impressive performance against Sheffield United was also Eddie Nketiah’s answer. Maybe he didn’t receive many expectations, maybe he was only the second or third choice, but the talent growing up from the Hale End youth academy never thought about giving up. Even if Arsenal could aim to add a class striker next January, the striker born in 1999 is worthy of coach Mikel Arteta’s consideration.
Huy Truong | 14:06 October 31, 2023
