Ian Wright told Eddie Nketiah that Gabriel Jesus could take his place in the team because Nketiah did not play well in Arsenal’s 1-0 win against Everton on Sunday.
Ian Wright got upset because Eddie Nketiah did not move around much in the penalty area, and he did not take chances when the ball was coming towards the goal. Alan Shearer also said that Nketiah is not a top-level striker.
It was pointed out that the Arsenal star rarely touched the ball during the match, further underscoring Wright’s point that he must at least try harder to get to the ball when it is put into the penalty area. As he told Premier League Productions: Put the Ball in the Goal (17/09/23 5:35 pm).
In the end, the 24-year-old was replaced after an hour by Gabriel Jesus, who is still trying to regain fitness after missing pre-season due to injury.
Mikel Arteta’s side will host PSV in the Champions League on Wednesday night, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if Gabriel Jesus starts as Arsenal’s number nine.
The Brazilian player had to talk to reporters with his manager on Tuesday and will probably be chosen to start the game.
Also Read: Mikel Arteta Acknowledges that a £34 Million Arsenal Player Hasn’t Had Sufficient Playing Time.
Nketiah is a Striker that Does Not Touch the Ball Much
“What you said when you mentioned Eddie is that he’s a low-contact striker,” Wright said. “For me, this is food and drink for the striker. At this point, you have to take risks (a cross comes from the left, but Nketiah does not attack the near post).
“He has to move because he is on the right side. He has to get close to that defender. You have to do some sliding or something to stop this. The important thing here is that if you are a low-touch striker, you have to penetrate into the penalty area.
“When you have a player like Jesus going into the game and maybe a player starting ahead of you, you have to take shots on goal even if you have half a chance, and you have to take advantage of that.`
`Because that’s what keeps you on the team and keeps people from saying, `Oh, Eddie has to play.” Because that’s what they said before the game.
“He should get an opportunity, but when we consider the small details, like how we reacted and what Alan (Alan Shearer) mentioned about certain actions and scoring goals, it’s difficult to achieve that at this level. It’s something that must happen.”
Pressure is Too Much on Nketiah
The next few months will be crucial for Nketiah. This is because if he does not show a stable performance, questions will be asked.
There has been talk that a player named Ivan Toney could join Arsenal, with his current ban set to end in mid-January, with the Premier League club pushing to sign the Brentford star.
No wonder. There is no doubt that Toney is far better than Nketiah, and if Arsenal’s poacher lacks that consistency next winter, fans can only hope for one thing.
