Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown has praised Eddie Nketiah for his hard work and patience this season, despite being mainly used off the bench.
Nketiah, 23, has scored two goals in three Europa League group fixtures this season and has featured 10 times in the Premier League - with all his appearances coming off the bench. The striker has struggled for starts under Mikel Arteta this campaign due to Gabriel Jesus' arrival from Manchester City.
For the first time since the Brazilian's arrival, Arteta partnered Nketiah with Jesus in attack to face PSV on Thursday evening. In the opening stages of the clash, Nketiah seemed to take up the position left by Gabriel Martinelli on the left-hand side of the Gunners' attack, with Jesus taking up the central role.
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Ahead of the game, former Arsenal players Keown and Fara Williams discussed the prospect of the two forwards playing in the same line-up and highlighted the similarities between the pair.
The fact that they can rotate the positions is really exciting," Williams said on BT Sport.
"We've seen Nketiah this season in the Europa League. He's starting to look similar to Jesus, so I think he's learning off him in training.
"The fact that he comes deeper now, he's mixing up his game, and he's a prolific goalscorer. When he's in that 18-yard box, he can finish."
Keown seconded Williams' comments, heaping praise onto the young forward for his patience off the bench. "He's gone from a boy to a man this season," he said.
"He's done it mostly from the bench, but when he's come on, he's become a favourite of the fans. He's very clever in wasting time and scoring goals.
"He's got real power to his game, so I can see him playing on the left-hand side, keeping Jesus in the middle. Then it becomes one change rather than two."
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