Chris Sutton has admitted "I got it wrong" after questioning whether Eddie Nketiah could deputise for injured Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus.
Nketiah, 23, scored twice, including a last-minute winner, to help Arsenal defeat Manchester United on Sunday. The result has given Mikel Arteta's side a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League table, with a game in hand on reigning champions Manchester City in second.
Some outside of the Emirates urged Arteta to sign a new striker after Brazil international Jesus, 25, suffered a knee injury in December, with plenty questioning whether Nketiah could step up to the plate in Jesus' absence. Yet the Englishman has proved his critics wrong, scoring four goals in his last five Premier League outings, leading the line with aplomb as the Gunners continue to push on in their title bid.
One of those critics was Sutton, a Premier League winner with Blackburn 28 years ago. "I got it wrong," wrote Sutton in his Daily Mail column. "Feel free to cut out those words and frame them because you won't see me saying that often!"
Sutton described Jesus as "irreplaceable" and backed Arsenal to struggle without him. The opposite has happened, with them recording huge wins against Tottenham and United to confirm their title credentials and even put Nketiah in the frame for an England nod.
Sutton claims Nketiah has "proved me and plenty of others wrong" by grabbing his opportunity "with both hands". He has compared the youngster's emergence to his own, when he was given his chance for Norwich against Liverpool in December 1991.
The striker-turned-pundit went on to become a prolific scorer at top-flight level - winning the Premier League Golden Boot in 1998 - and lifted trophies in England and Scotland. "These are the moments when you either succeed of shrink," added Sutton.
Now, the former Chelsea star believes Arteta will struggle to decide between Nketiah and Jesus when the latter returns from injury. He is expected to make his comeback in February - after Arsenal play title rivals and his ex-club City for the first time in the league.
Do you think Eddie Nketiah is now above Gabriel Jesus in Arsenal's pecking order? Let us know in the comments below!
Nketiah has faced criticism throughout his time at the Emirates. He has struggled for opportunities since making his senior debut in September 2017 and almost left Arsenal last summer before signing a new contract and taking Thierry Henry's iconic No.14 shirt. Yet Nketiah has silenced is doubters.
Sutton continued: "Not only have they coped [without Jesus], if anything they've improved. That's down to Nketiah seamlessly taking over, in spite of the pressure he must have been feeling deep down."
Sutton has also backed Nketiah to be involved in England's Euro 2024 qualifiers against Italy and Ukraine in March. The youngster was sensational for the Three Lions at youth level - scoring a record 16 goals in 17 appearances for the U21s between 2018 and 2021.
Sutton added: "Gareth Southgate can only be loving this. For so long, we've wondered who can deputise for Harry Kane... Well, how about the guy who took over from Alan Shearer and Francis Jeffers as the record scorer for England's Under 21s?"
