Arsenal: 3 areas Eddie Nketiah has to improve to aid top four push

3. Nketiah Must Impose Himself Physically

If Nketiah does make it onto the pitch over the remaining matches then the most likely person he will replace in the team is Lacazette. Emile Smith Rowe and Gabriel Martinelli will battle it out for the left side, Martin Odegaard is a vital component to the team his fitness is excellent, while Saka will stay out on the right of Arsenal’s attack until he’s 63 years old.

The majority of introductions for Nketiah will therefore be for the only other striker in the squad.

And when Lacazette does leave the field of play Arsenal will lose crucial physicality in central areas. While Nketiah and the Frenchman are different players with different skillsets, a lack of physical presence is something that the 22-year-old needs to nonetheless improve on. There are few better centre-forwards to learn off.

Nketiah, like all of the Gunners’ youngsters, has bulked up over the last 8-12 months. But his prospects of becoming a regular starter for a top-flight side won’t be realised unless he can impose himself on matches in a physical sense.

His poacher style reflects across other aspects of his game: a poacher nibbles at chances when they come but rarely gets involved otherwise, and Nketiah equally never fully invests himself in physically. Too keen to be floating around people, he has to put his stamp on matches more and let defenders know they won’t have easy afternoon.

As the striker, particularly in this young team where the fellow forward don’t dominate physically, he has to stand up and inject that element from his side. He stand no chance of making it as a Premier League football unless he does.