Arsenal: Eddie Nketiah can hold a candle to Danny Welbeck

Arsenal have two strikers to choose from given the Alexandre Lacazette injury and it needs to be said that Eddie Nketiah should havea fighting chance.

Arsenal’s striker situation is a mess going into the two legs against Ostersunds. I’d love to sit here and say “it’s only Ostersunds FK, it’ll be fine,” but I know the Gunners and there is never a “it’s only” with them. Especially not in a first leg in Sweden where it will be, according to the weather report, “damn cold.”

We are going to have to score goals, and that’s the part that is worrying. Without either of our two record signings available for this match and most likely the next one either, it will fall to the last two remaining options – Danny Welbeck and Eddie Nketiah.

Obviously Welbeck is going to be given the run out, likely without even an ounce of consideration for young Nketiah, but I’m here to advocate on behalf of the young man.

Welbeck has his facilities, he always will, but one of those facilities is not scoring goals. For whatever reason, he is just a clutz in the box and has more scuffed-shot assists than any man in the history of the game.

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What we need against Ostersunds FK is effort, yet, but we need someone who can tuck chances away and honestly, I have more faith in Eddie Nketiah to do that than I do Danny Welbeck. Plus, Nketiah seems to score in bunches.

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Need I remind everyone that last season between the U18s and U23s, Nketiah managed 24 goals in 33 appearances. This was his first year on our academy set-up and he was an absolute madman.

This year, spending all his time with the U23s, he has improved on his U23 numbers from last year, scoring 11 goals in 12 appearances.

He has made a few appearances with the senior team, most notably rescuing the club with two goals against Norwich City in the League Cup, which is turning into our best chance at silverware. The guy is only 18 years old and he has alreayd proven that he is clinical.

It all depends on your opinion of what we need more. If you think we need a strong body in the box, you choose Welbeck. If you think that finishing the chances is more important, then you should be in Nketiah’s corner. Effort wise, you won’t find much difference between them, as they are both eternally hungry.

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I don’t expect Arsene Wenger to shake things up and start Nketiah, although I wish he would, but if the situation permits, Nketiah could still make a huge impact. Bigger, perhaps, then Danny Welbeck.

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