Arsenal: Eddie Nketiah wastefulness concerning for only one reason

Eddie Nketiah missed three excellent chances in Arsenal’s 3-0 FA Cup third-round win over Blackpool. His wastefulness, however, is concerning for only one reason: confidence.

In the modern game, a striker must do more than just score goals. Yes, goalscoring is a key responsibility and a major part of their role in the team. But such is the all-encompassing structure to matches in the present era, every player must have skills that extend beyond one or two elements.

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Goalkeepers and defenders must be good with the ball at their feet. Wingers must score like centre-forwards. Full-backs must attack like wide players, without sacrificing their defensive security. And strikers must hold up play, run the channels, press high up the pitch, drop deep to link attacks, and score goals.

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In Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Blackpool in the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday night, Eddie Nketiah did every aspect of the striker position briliantly. Apart from one. His speed was threatening throughout on the counter-attack. His hold-up play was superb, battling with hard-nosed defenders constantly. His touch was sound and secure, he worked hard to run the channels, and his movement was phenomenal, both in creating chances for himself and in engineering space for those around him.

However, seeing as this is modern football and all anyone cares about is FIFA skills and YouTube highlights, because Nketiah didn’t score, the only aspect of the striking job that he didn’t execute to a high standard on Saturday, he will be criticised for his performance.

Admittedly, the three chances that Nketiah missed, all coming in the first half, were glaring, and at least two should have been converted with relative ease. And I cannot describe his finishing here as anything other than wasteful. It is something that will need to improve if he is to be the top-tier striker that he has hinted at being capable of becoming. But it is not something that should be hearkened on about over and over. It isn’t actually that concerning.

As Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has proven throughout his career, you can be an elite goalscorer without being a clinical finisher. It is much more important to have excellent movement skills, intelligent positioning and a nose for danger, such that the quantity of shooting opportunities you create for yourself outweighs the quality with which you take them.

The only aspect that I am concerned about regarding Nketiah’s wastefulness is his own confidence. This is not the first time that he has missed good chances this season. His finishing has been poor all year long. It is not inconceivable that he could enter a mental rut that then becomes a barrier to clinical shooting when future opportunities arise. Nketiah’s head dropped after his third miss. I would like to see it lift again.

But confidence comes and goes. One goal and it will all be forgotten about. That is why Nketiah’s misfirings do not concern me. It would be far more worrisome if he wasn’t having any firings in the first place.