Bukayo Saka has explained how Eddie Nketiah has made a “huge difference for Arsenal after the Gunners came from behind to beat Fulham 2-1 on Saturday.
Nketiah was the main winner from the match as his introduction just after the hour mark helped turn the tide in the game, with Mikel Arteta’s side trailing 1-0 – they swiftly found an equalising goal while their relentless pressure brought a late winner.
Serbian forward Aleksandar Mitrovic opened the scoring early into the second-half as he robbed the ball from Gabriel Magalhaes and coolly slottted home past Aaron Ramsdale. Captain Martin Odegaard was on hand though to equalise with a defelcted effort with half an hour still to play. However, chances were not forthcoming until Gabriel prodded home a late winner to ensure his side's winning run to the season continued.
Nketiah started just eight Premier League games last season and his time on the pitch before Saturday’s encountered had totalled just 28 minutes across three substitute appearances. Yet Arteta turned to him just after the hour mark with the Gunners trailing, and his introduction helped turn the game on its head.
The 23-year-old added attacking impetus and tangible energy in the final third, providing a foil for Gabriel Jesus and preventing Fulham from playing the ball out from the back. He posed a different threat for the visitors to deal with and his introduction was the turning point. Over half of Arsenal's shots came in the 29 minutes he was on the pitch.
Saka explained following on from the game: “We had to be patient. Credit to Fulham, they made it difficult for us. In the end, we got the result we wanted, so we’re happy. Eddie Nketiah made a real difference for us. I’m happy with his contribution and I’m sure he’ll score a lot of goals for us this season.”
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Arsenal have now won their opening four games of the Premier League season and are the early pacesetters in the division. Boss Arteta said after the game: "We reacted with a great mentality after a big mistake. We were in control and made a mistake, but we reacted well.
"We had to make changes. The players had to do it and credit to them, because they really made a difference. The players have to enjoy today, then start thinking about how we recover and prepare for Villa. It’s going to be another big fight."
However, the Gunners coach was quick to play down any talk of a potential title challenge this season, adding: "No this is just the start of the season. We are in a long, long marathon."
