Arsenal: Eddie Nketiah and the insatiable eye for goal

Eddie Nketiah scored yet again in Arsenal’s 5-1 dismantling of Paris Saint-Germain. The young striker has an insatiable eye for goal that makes him very special indeed.

Much of the summer preseason doesn’t really matter. The results don’t matter. Who scores the goals doesn’t really matter. Even, to some extent, and especially for the more senior players, the level of individual performance doesn’t really matter. But one thing that does matter is the development of the young players in the squad. That is particularly poignant for this current crop of Arsenal prospects.

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We got a glimpse at some of the burgeoning talent at the club last summer. Reiss Nelson was spectacular in the tour of Australia, Joe Willock made his presence known in the midfield, as did Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who then proceeded to break into the first team rotation the next season making 15 Premier League appearances, eight of them starts.And again, a year later, we are getting another glimpse at some of the brightest spots at the club.

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One player that I want to highlight is Eddie Nketiah, who began to make a name for himself last season but is really beginning to come to the fore this time around. The young striker came on in the second half of Arsenal’s 5-1 dismantling of Paris Saint-Germain. There was a moment shortly after he was introduced that perfectly displayed his natural flair for goalscoring.

Positioned out to the left, Nketiah received the ball wide of the penalty area. As soon as he had possession, there was only one thought in his mind: shoot. He jinked inside two defenders, dummying a shot both times before shifting the ball to his right to create that extra yard of space, before unleashing his strike on goal that was well saved by the PSG goalkeeper. Nketiah may not have scored, something that he would rectify later in the match, but the intention of engineering an opportunity to shoot at goal was clear.

His goal was another example. As soon as Arsenal broke towards the exposed and tired PSG defence, Nketiah was on his toes. Bending his run to his right and scampering in behind the PSG defence, he wasted no time in shooting at goal, pulling his shot back across the goal and into the far corner. He didn’t even need to look where the goal was.

Nketiah also tried to nick one of Alexandre Lacazette’s two goals as he nodded the ball into the empty net. The goal had already been awarded to his French teammate, but the anticipation, the positioning and the desire were evident. This is a player who knows how to score goals and is desperate to do so.

This insatiable eye for goal is what makes him a special talent. He is relentless in his pursuit of goals. His whole game revolves around scoring. Some may call it selfish, but it is what the best goalscorers have done throughout the history of the sport. Nketiah has that same ruthless streak as many of the great Arsenal goalscorers before him.

There is still a long way for this bright, blossoming 19-year-old to go. He must work hard to earn his opportunities. But his talent is undeniable. His goal-getting desire is unquenchable. His potential is inexorable. And that makes him very special indeed.