Gary Neville and Micah Richards have agreed that Eddie Nketiah has been a surprise package for Arsenal this season as he continues to fill the void left by Gabriel Jesus in attack. The Gunners are hopeful the Brazilian striker can return to action before the March international break, football.london understands.
Jesus was ruled out of action in December for a number of weeks after sustaining a knee injury whilst playing for Brazil at the World Cup in Qatar. Nketiah has now scored nine goals in all competitions this season, four more than Jesus managed for the north Londoners before his injury.
Mikel Arteta made the bold decision to drop Nketiah from the starting 11 that played against Leicester City at the weekend, with January signing Leandro Trossard being deployed in a false nine role alongside Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli. Nketiah may remain on the bench for the clash against Everton on Wednesday night as Arteta looks to manage players' minutes heading into a congested period of fixtures.
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Speaking on The Overlap, Neville reviewed the Premier League season so far and reserved some special praise for Nketiah. The 23-year-old has been receiving plenty of plaudits for his displays, with Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale labelling him as the most ‘underrated’ player at the club.
When asked which player has surprised him the most this season, the former Manchester United defender replied: “I’m going to go with Nketiah. I thought that when Jesus got injured it could be a problem, but I think he’s played really well for Arsenal."
Micah Richards has agreed with Neville's verdict and claimed that people would have said Arsenal can't win the Premier League with Nketiah in attack. The former Manchester City defender sent the Arsenal forward some words of encouragement on BBC’s The Monday Night Club.
Richards said: “Do you remember the [All or Nothing] documentary, the Arsenal one and it was [Albert Sambi] Lokonga I think he was speaking to and he was like, ‘what are you moaning for?’ And he was saying he was always ready when needed.
"Let’s be honest, if Nketiah doesn’t play until the end of the season and wins the Premier League medal, do you think he’s going to be moaning? People will argue he should have scored more goals and he missed a few headers against Man City but his overall impact in the team has been greater than anyone would have expected.
"Everyone would have said that Arsenal can’t win the league now because they have Nketiah up front but he has played a key role in where they are in the league. So, if he has to sit out from time to time, yes it disheartens any player, but it’s the end goal. It’s not individual, it’s a team and he’s done his part so far.”
Ex-Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson claimed that he feels Mikel Arteta made a 'masterstroke' decision by resting Nketiah against Leicester but expects him to start against Everton. The young striker has proven many doubters wrong after some strong form towards the end of last season has now been picked up mid-season this term following Jesus' injury.
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