The Eddie Nketiah era is off to a strong start
Doubts surrounded the Hale End product's ability to replace Gabriel Jesus, but game one was encouraging
The halftime scenes on Arsenal Twitter were as predictable as they were depressing.
In my mind, Eddie Nketiah had been quietly good, albeit not excellent, showing for the ball, holding off defenders with his strength, beating more than one on the turn and even creating a spectacular chance for Bukayo Saka with an excellent back-heel flick (Saka was offside).
But he hadn’t scored a goal, and the closest thing he had to a chance — his breakaway — was snuffed out by Craig Dawson. And he was catching heat from some for it.
Everyone’s experience of the bird app was different, but my Tweets proclaiming Eddie’s first half to be Good were met with calls of “crappy standards,” “horrible,” “trash” and even one suggestion that he should play in the Championship.
Of course, Eddie eventually cashed in with an excellent goal about midway through the second half, capping what to me was a good performance, and hopefully putting at least a fraction of the anxiety out there to rest.
What did I like about Eddie’s game? I compiled some clips, let’s analyze together.
Before we look at moving pictures, here’s Eddie’s heat map. Much like the poacher he is, you can see his involvement came in two main areas: 1) the penalty box, of course and 2) the center of the pitch, when he dropped deep to receive the ball and release and kickstart the attack. There was a spell in the first half where Martinelli was central and Nketiah was in more like the left half-space, but it didn’t last terribly long.
Now some clips! (I posted all these to TikTok because Substack’s video capabilities are a bit subpar)
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This happened within minutes of kickoff, and to me looked like a statement of intent from Eddie. You can see at the beginning he signals his run at the near post to Martin Ødegaard, who picks out Bukayo Saka. Eddie’s run pulls Thilo Kehrer out of position, and his absolutely excellent back-heeled pass to Saka set up a would-be goal that was unsatisfyingly chalked off.
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A bit later in the half, Eddie made his first run on the ball. He doesn’t end up in the box here, but does a nice job staying strong and not allowing Benrahma to win the ball back. He plays it out to Saka, who’s able to circulate the ball and create an attack.
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This is also early in the game, and it’s part of what pays off for Eddie’s goal later. He is genuinely strong with his back to the goal and does a nice job pinning and holding up. I think his is a good idea to attempt to pay it directly to Ødegaard, but the box is just too crowded, with 6 West Ham men inside and Rice and Bowen just outside, and the result is a traffic jam. Dawson did a nice job here spotting the Arsenal captain and marking him.
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Eddie does end up losing the ball here, but he also displays intelligence and more good use of his body that will become a theme throughout the game — and will lead to his goal. Soucek falls for his body fake hook, line and sinker, and if not for a nice sliding tackle by Declan Rice, Eddie’s got a chance to play Ødegaard through to his right.
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This was the moment some of the doubters clung to at half-time. Eddie and Saka are in a 2-on-2 break against Dawson and Cresswell, and I think Dawson positions himself well here. Eddie appears to be attempting to finesse this ball to Fabianksi’s left. Who knows whether it would have worked, but it was a low-percentage chance at best (0.09 xG), and I’m not sure I would have liked his odds getting through Dawson and beating Cresswell, who was collapsing in from the left.
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This is an underrated part of Eddie’s game: He’s a genuinely good outlet, either dropping deep and holding up play, or chasing a long ball. Saliba’s pass over the top hits Eddie right at his feet, and Nketiah takes a perfect first touch to prevent an awkward bounce or ricochet. He did something very similar in the buildup to a goal against Lyon in Dubai. I was really pleased by this play.
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Speaking of chasing a long ball, this is a crafty play by Eddie that I felt went unnoticed. Kehrer falls and Eddie takes a clever (and difficult touch) to prevent Dawson from making a clearance. He then holds off Dawson with his body and makes a pass that’s just centimeters off, and the move dies. Eddie’s pass could have been better here but the overall play, to me, is solid.
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And of course, the payoff. Eddie pins Kehrer back as Ødegaard receives the ball, convinces the defender he’s going left, and smartly spins the opposite direction. With his man beaten, all that’s left is the finish, and Eddie slots it home coolly here. A genuinely excellent goal.
Overall, this was an encouraging game from Nketiah. Had the second half gone like the first and Arsenal not scored, I would not have said their loss was because of him. Thankfully the Gunners attack found decisiveness after the break and made mincemeat of an otherwise pretty good West Ham defence.
If there’s an area Eddie didn’t excel in this game, it’s probably carrying toward goal. He simply does not have the same dribbling ability of Gabriel Jesus, and that’s a skill that many look for when deciding whether a player is “class” or “mid.” Eddie doesn’t possess a strong long-range shot, either, dwarfing him even more against the Vlahovics and Scamaccas of the world.
All in all, Eddie turned a quietly good half into a good first start with Arsenal’s A team, reminiscent of the games he played against Chelsea and Leeds last season. If he can continue to use his body, hold the ball up and find his teammates near the goal, there’s reason to believe Eddie can be a solid fill-in while Arsenal await the return of their star.