Reiss Nelson has sent Mikel Arteta another reminder that he is ready for Premier League football next season. The winger was excellent for Feyenoord as the Dutch side ran rampant in a 4-1 victory over Heracles in the Eredivisie.
Nelson played his part in three of the goals, as he got himself on the scoresheet and provided two assists. This followed on from his impressive performance in the UEFA European Conference league where he also provided an assist.
Arteta will look to rebuild his team with a lot of departures and incomings expected. Nelson’s recent impressive performances could throw him back into contention to remain as an Arsenal player in the next campaign.
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The 22-year-old has almost become a forgotten thought at Arsenal after making the loan switch to Feyenoord at the start of the season. Despite being one of the more promising Hale End academy graduates, Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka have set the Premier League on fire and have taken the crown as Arsenal’s academy successes.
Nelson initially struggled during the early days of his Feyenoord loan, and the Dutch sides’ manager Arne Slot explained why. Speaking about Nelson, Slot said: “Nelson had participated in almost all training sessions at Arsenal, but he experiences the training here as a bit more intense.
"He suffered an overuse injury and so he is not here. Whether he will make it to PSV [at the weekend] remains to be seen. At least not as a starting player."
However, in the second half of the season, Nelson has excelled. This was proven by his excellent performance against Slavia Prague in the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League on Thursday evening, which was shortly followed up by his masterclass against Heracles in the Eredivisie.
Nelson is currently on his second loan since breaking into the first team from the Hale End academy as he played in the Bundesliga for Hoffenheim during the 2018/19 campaign before returning to Arsenal. Since his return from the first loan, he failed to break into Arteta’s side, which is why he is currently on loan at Feyenoord for the season.
If Nelson continues his excellent run of form then there could potentially be a spot for him in north London next season. The future of Nicolas Pepe is uncertain, and Gabriel Martinelli has been tipped to move from his wide-midfield role into a more central forward position. If these moves happen, then there is space for a new player in the wing position and Nelson has the chance to grasp the role with both hands.
