Arsenal: Every goal helps solidify Eddie Nketiah’s status

Eddie Nketia has his opportunity to make it at Arsenal, and with each and every goal, he gets one step closer to making it irrefutable evidence that he belongs.

It’s not easy to break through at striker on a team that has Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, and a vendetta against starting two strikers. But that is what Eddie Nketiah is trying to do at Arsenal and thanks to Mikel Arteta, he is being allowed to do it.

Nketiah has such a sterling track record in the youth ranks that it seemed like just a matter of time before it clicked into the Premier League. Nothing is ever a guarantee, though, least of all at such a previous position.

Simply put, if you don’t score, you won’t make it. And the window of opportunity is so small. Nketiah has been given his in light of Lacazette’s struggles and now it feels like every single goal pushes him closer to being considered a Premier League striker once and for all.

He’s now at five goals for the Gunners on the season, with three of them coming in his last four starts. The biggest of which was that first Premier League goal against Everton in the midst of a match that he well and truly belonged in.

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Again, though—without consistent goals, a striker will never make it from a young age. No matter how good they are outside of those goals.

And so, with each goal, Nketiah lays another brick in his foundation. His goal against Porstmouth was no cheapie either. He had to have supreme awareness and quick feet to get the job done and he did.

While he struggled a bit in that first Premier League start against Newcastle, he has learned on the job quickly to ingratiate into an attack that really needs the tip of the spear to be sharp.

It wasn’t all that long ago that Chuba Akpom was trying to do the exact same thing that Nketiah is now trying to do. Akpom never quite made the cut despite all the hype and build-up to his abilities. Part of the reason is because he never settled in and looked comfortable in front of goal.

Nketiah looks comfortable. He’s taking his chances. He’s making a difference. As long as he can keep finding ways to get the ball into the back of the net, he’s going to be here for a long time.