Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah is showing why he is the perfect backup striker for summer signing Gabriel Jesus under Mikel Arteta.
Jesus completed a £45million move from Manchester City to the Emirates Stadium in the summer following the exits of both Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Arteta was keen to sign a world-class striker to lead his attack despite Nketiah enjoying a good run of form at the back end of last term.
Nketiah signed a new long-term deal at the Emirates Stadium in the summer as he changed shirt numbers to the iconic No.14, previously worn by his idol and Gunners legend Thierry Henry. The young striker has had to settle for a backup role behind Jesus for Arsenal this season, but one key stat proves Nketiah is the perfect rotation option for Arteta.
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Whilst his numbers do not represent the best return, with just three goals in 19 appearances so far this season, Nketiah has only started for Arteta six times this season, all coming in the Europa League. The Gunners have enjoyed a strong performance both domestically and in Europe during the first half of the season, currently sitting five points clear at the top of the table and qualified at the top of their Europa League group.
The 23-year-old has the ability to play anywhere across the attack, and he has the physical attributes, along with the football intelligence, to perform in Arteta's high-pressing system. The Spaniard has altered his tactics slightly this season with a focus on defending from the front, with Jesus having executed Arteta's instructions brilliantly all season on and off the ball.
Whilst Nketiah has not had the same success in front of goal as Jesus, the 23-year-old has shown he can meet the demands placed on strikers by Arteta with a key stat in the Europa League. Nketiah has made more pressures in the opposition's half (92) than any other player in the Europa League group stages, highlighting his amazing ability to press the ball and be the first line of defence for the Gunners.
By pressing the opposition defence out of possession, Nketiah is able to push his team up the pitch and force opponents into mistakes, resulting in Arsenal winning possession back and ultimately leading to attacks starting closer to the goal giving the Gunners the best chance of scoring. The young striker can learn from Jesus and develop his game to become a more well-rounded attacker, adding more goals and assists to his game to show Arteta he deserves to be a starter, either ahead or alongside the £45million signing.
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