Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah has set the Premier League alight since returning to Mikel Arteta's starting line-up. The Hale Ender has scored six goals in six games since the resumption of domestic football after Gabriel Jesus' knee injury.
The Brazilian started all of the Gunners' opening 14 Premier League games in the first half of the season, scoring five and assisting another six to help Mikel Arteta's side rise to the top of the table. However, Jesus suffered medial ligament damage to his knee during Brazil's World Cup defeat to Cameroon, ruling him out for a number of months.
In his absence, Nketiah has slotted straight into Arteta's attacking line and has picked up where he left off from the end of last season. The forward netted five times in seven games following Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's January exit before mainly being utilised off the bench this term.
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Once news broke of Jesus' injury, speculation of a new striker arriving at the Emirates Stadium began, following doubts over Nketiah's ability - as well as concerns about depth should the striker himself suffer an injury. However, since Arsenal's first game back on Boxing Day against West Ham, the 23-year-old has scored six goals in six games in all competitions to silence his doubters.
"What Eddie is doing is incredible," Arteta said after the victory over Manchester United. "I cannot say we saw that [coming]. We were hoping that he could do that because of the way he is, his mentality, and how his qualities fit in the team.
"Losing Gabi was a big blow. It is a big blow losing Gabi today but Eddie is responding with the team in an exceptional way."
Nketiah's performances for the Gunners in the second half of the season have earned him plenty of praise from the footballing world, including fellow Premier League strikers Callum Wilson and Michail Antonio. The pair have come up against Nketiah and Arsenal since Christmas and were full of praise for the striker - with Antonio stating that the Gunners are being rewarded for placing their faith in an academy graduate rather than spending big.
"Bro, the way he played against us – urgh. He surprised me. He surprised me! He was dropping in deep, picking it up, he rolled a couple of our defenders to score his goal. He was quality," Antonio said on The Footballer's Football Podcast.
"From that moment I have watched him and he’s been doing it in so many games. He’s a great striker, and I’m happy for him. A young boy coming up, he’s showing what he can do. You don’t always have to go and spend money, you can see that sometimes in your academy you can bring boys up and they can do it."
Antonio's words were seconded by Wilson, whose Newcastle side became only the third side all season to deny Arsenal of victory earlier in January. "He's doing good at the moment," he said. "He played good against us as well. He gives them a different dynamic because he can drop in and he can run in behind. He looks like a good player."
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