Arsenal: Eagerness making Eddie Nketiah something else

Eddie Nketiah is hitting the Arsenal first team at a truly unique time, and if the eagerness pays dividends, he could become something completely different.

It’s not very often that we acquire a teenager who I immediately lose it over. But when Arsenal snagged Eddie Nketiah after his Chelsea departure, I was beside myself. But in a “we’ve been here before, try to keep it cool” kind of way.

I couldn’t keep it cool though, and the more Nketiah scored, the more I gushed and gushed, and couldn’t wait for him to make it to the first team and be given his chance. The only problem was that Arsene Wenger had his guys, and Nketiah didn’t really fit.

Even being called up early on by Wenger to play in a preseason tour, there was nothing indicating a pending arrival. Not even his gaudy youth goal numbers.

Mikel Arteta has parted the seas to give Nketiah a chance. The loan to Leeds ended early and Nketiah walked back to a starting job, with Alexandre Lacazette having been pushed aside due to poor form.

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Then Nketiah went ahead and scored that first Premier League goal, and now all any of us want is more. Give us more Eddie. We want to see more of what he can do.

Of course, the legend began when he saved us against Norwich City in the League Cup. Literally, saved us. With just five minutes and stoppage time, he won the game with two goals, the first coming from his first touch.

You can’t contain the amount of eagerness built around such a player. And the fact that Arteta has pulled out all the stops to ensure his place in the first team only adds to that eagerness and anticipation. North London is literally ready to blow the roof off if Eddie can solidify himself as a ready here and now talent.

There’s still some hesitancy, as there will be. He’s young. He’s still got time to grow. But if he can stick now, with the futures of Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on the line, he can introduce a hell of a lot of relief alongside the eagerness and anticipation he is funneling directly into our veins.

The only crappy thing is that we can only wait. For his next start, his next goal, his next appearance. But I am ready to lose my cool over Nketiah again. It really wouldn’t take much.