It’s hard to believe it was less than a month ago that Eddie Nketiah was being hailed as a hero for his performance against Manchester United, which included two deft goals (one in stoppage time) to seal a massive win for Arsenal.
But it was, and my how things have changed.
Nketiah is among those most in the crosshairs of disappointed Arsenal fans after dropping one of his less-inspiring performances of the season against Manchester City, which included a couple of free headers that missed the mark. It was his third consecutive league start without a goal, the last being his brace against United.
Prior to Nketiah’s being forced into duty as a Gabriel Jesus injury replacement, Arsenal were 5 points clear at the top of the Premier League table and averaging 2.64 points per game. In the 8 games since, Arsenal have averaged 1.75 points per game, which this season would put them about fifth on the league table.
The rhetoric around Nketiah as a Jesus replacement was never about whether he’s a good enough striker to lead a side to a league title; it would seem most never believed he was or could be. But rather, it was about whether he was good enough to keep the boat from sinking until Gabriel Jesus returns, which should take place sometime in the next 4-6 Premier League games. (Arsenal visit Aston Villa this weekend, followed by away to Leicester, home to Everton and Bournemouth, and away to Fulham March 12).
The conversation around Nketiah certainly raises questions. He’s no doubt struggled more in the past couple of games than he had in his first handful. But on the whole, has he been as bad as some are saying? Is he actually a lost cause?
To help add some perspective, let’s take a look at Nketiah’s performance against leading strikers around the league from the same time period.
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