Squad Numbers Prove That Arsenal's Rebuild is Built on Hale End

Arsenal’s project is built on Hale End, and the squad numbers prove it

Arsenal's English striker Eddie Nketiah celebrates with Arsenal's Brazilian striker Gabriel Martinelli (back) after scoring his team's second goal during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Everton at the Emirates Stadium in London on May 22, 2022. - - RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by Daniel LEAL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images) /

Eddie Nketiah was announced to have signed a new contract with Arsenal on Saturday morning.

Along with that announcement of the young striker staying with the club came news of a new number 14. To most clubs, this number wouldn’t mean too much, but to wear the number once donned by the king, Thierry Henry, is a tall order.

Many are not pleased to hear this news, but to that, I say this: it is not that serious. Gabriel took to Twitter today to call out some behaviour of fans towards the new number 14.

how can you be so ungrateful! OMG 🙃
— Gabriel Magalhaes (@biel_m04) June 18, 2022

Gabriel is right, fans are being ungrateful in this sense. Eddie’s extension is very exciting. He is a young academy graduate with loads of talent who proved in every appearance last season that he has become more than just a fox-in-the-box striker.

It’s not recency bias, so much more substance to his game. Arsenal’s most improved player over the last year. This is the game I’ve been using as my defence point. https://t.co/CsA39Iiduy
— RohanJivan (@RjArsenalBlog) June 18, 2022

The club is also showing a huge repayment of what Hale End has provided for the Gunners’ rebuild with Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe donning the numbers 7 and 10 respectively. There was way less backlash to ESR taking an iconic number despite only breaking into the first team six months earlier. Eddie has been with the first team far longer.

I called for Nketiah to start after his performance in the loss to Southampton. He didn’t score in the match, but you could tell watching him how much his overall play had taken massive strides. He was dropping deep for the ball as Alexandre Lacazette does, he was playing with fluidity across the front line, and getting in dangerous positions.

Eddie has some huge boots to fill wearing the number 14 but I have no doubts that he will play to its legacy.

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