Even in the modern game when wide forwards often score more than them, strikers are generally judged by their goals more than anything else they contribute.
It is a reductive way of analysing their impact though. Eddie Nketiah may not have scored for Arsenal in their 3-1 win over Manchester United and had the fewest number of shots (one, which was off target) than any of their starting front six, but he made a significant contribution to a crucial victory.
A cliche that pundits often fall back on is that defenders are “terrified of pace” and rarely has that been more evident than in Sunday’s game at the Emirates when both of United’s starting centre-backs – Victor Lindelof and Lisandro Martinez – were booked for scything down Nketiah after he had sprinted past them.
Lindelof was fortunate to only receive a yellow after making contact with Nketiah’s face with his right boot, while Martinez’s desperate lunge on the halfway line proved to be his final contribution as he hobbled off straight after with a self-inflicted injury.
Both of those instances demonstrated that the only way that United’s defenders felt they could contain Nketiah was to take him out of the game entirely. He was too quick and too clever for them, darting from side to side before bursting into the channels.
To borrow another punditry platitude, defenders hate being dragged out of position and Nketiah’s movement forced Lindelof and Martinez into uncomfortable positions time and again.
One such moment came in the build-up to Kai Havertz‘s penalty that never was when he came short to receive the ball, bringing Lindelof with him, before twisting away into space and playing a through ball into his team-mate’s path.
Nketiah’s link-up play was crisp and sharp. He played the pass before the final pass as Arsenal immediately cancelled out Marcus Rashford‘s opener with Gabriel Martinelli teeing up Martin Odegaard to fire past Andre Onana. And despite only playing for 75 minutes, he was Arsenal’s second-most creative player on the day with his three chances only bettered by Bukayo Saka (five).
That Nketiah impacted the game without finding the net is consequential considering his previous over-reliance on goals. When Nketiah first broke into Arsenal’s first team six years ago he looked like a pure No 9, a clinical finisher who offered little else.
On his second senior appearance, it took him just 15 seconds to score his first goal after coming off the bench to turn around Arsenal’s fortunes in a Carabao Cup tie against Norwich City. He added a second in extra-time to secure their passage into the next round.
Now, at 24, he is showing signs of being a far more complete player, even captaining the side during the draw against Fulham at the end of last month. Gabriel Jesus may well be Mikel Arteta‘s first-choice striker – and took his goal in added time on Sunday superbly – but the gap in quality and influence between the Brazilian and Nketiah has certainly narrowed since the start of last season.
When Jesus returned from the World Cup carrying an injury Arsenal fans were concerned that it would spell the end for their Premier League title challenge. Instead, they maintained their early season momentum winning four of their first five games after the restart with Nketiah scoring four times, including a dramatic winner against United.
Nketiah endured a barren end to the last campaign with no goals in his final 13 league appearances but he has scored twice in his first four matches of 2023-24 and appears to have rediscovered his confidence and sharpness.
Jesus had to compete for game time at Manchester City and is aware he has another battle on his hands in north London.
“From day one, I’m a big fan of Eddie because of the way he works and the way he trains is amazing,” he told Football.London on Sunday. “It’s not easy to come from the academy at a massive club and fight to play in the first team.
“Congrats to him, he’s doing so well and he deserves to be called in the England national team. For me personally, it’s good competition. It’s always good for the club because for sure he’s making me better and I’m making him better as well.”
Gareth Southgate has obviously been impressed, handing Nketiah his first senior call-up to the England squad for the upcoming games against Ukraine and Scotland.
Having battled for a place in Arteta’s starting XI for so long, Nketiah now has another ambition to make the Euros squad next summer. Build on his display against United and he could well have a chance of accomplishing both targets.
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/MaXeDLB
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