The prevailing opinion from outside the Arsenal bubble is that they need a striker who is a classic number 9 and can score 20 goals a season. The January transfer window was full of speculation in this direction, but it came and went without a high-profile transfer to the Emirates. Whether Mikel Arteta’s side will have the firepower to sustain their Premier League title challenge and their European hopes remains one of the key questions hanging over the remainder of the season.
Since Arteta’s arrival at the Emirates in December 2019, Eddie Nketiah has been a constant presence in attack, making 33 appearances in all competitions this season. Leading the line for Arsenal is a multi-faceted job and while the 24-year-old is happy with the demands, he admits it’s not always easy.
“It’s a difficult role, but it’s one I enjoy playing,” he insists. “I think it all depends on the type of game, what the manager wants and where the pitches will be. “You can have good days and bad days but every time I step on the pitch I try to do my best to help the team.
“I’m at a stage in my career where I’m comfortable dropping deeper, getting up and getting into goal-scoring positions, but I’m also on the last man’s shoulder because I can get in behind to threaten the defence.”
Arsenal have scored 70 goals in the league this season; that’s five goals more than Sunday’s opponent Manchester City; This could be a crucial match in determining where the cup goes. Along with his offensive skills, the lessons learned from the last campaign were crucial in this championship offense.
“Mikel always demands and pushes us to be the best version of ourselves,” Nketiah said. “We came close to this last year and we know what it is like to be involved in it so the experience will benefit us.
“Every player who participated contributed something of their own. All the players who were here before have improved themselves, developed and gained more experience compared to last season. We’re taking it one game at a time but we’re in a good place and we’re really hungry [to win] and do something for the fans.
If Arsenal are to clinch their first league title since 2004, their ability from set-pieces will play a key role. Not long ago the idea of a ‘set-piece coach’ was being ridiculed. Not anymore. Nicolas Jover has done wonders for the North London club and turned them into one of the best in the league. Nketiah attributes their success to the team recognizing the benefits of dead-ball opportunities.
“We’ve been training a lot on that, Nico is a very nice guy and we get on very well off the pitch as well. “All the players have a good relationship with him,” says Nketiah, smiling when the influential coach is mentioned.
“It’s not just him, though. The manager is really keen on this and all the players and staff support it. We know it can help us and we’re working on it, so hopefully we can continue to create opportunities from set pieces and open play because we’ve got great players who like to get to the end of things and players who can put in quality balls. so it all helps.
Arsenal’s unbeaten league form in 2024 follows a mid-season break that led to a marked upturn in Dubai. Arteta’s team had won once in seven matches in all previous competitions.
“Everyone is disappointed,” Nketiah said of the team’s morale. “During the season you want to win games and fight for things, so we were disappointed with the results but it was a really good time to get back together, focus on some things, have a good time in training and I think it did us very well.” .
“For some people it was a chance to separate, get away and take a break but also work hard and just be together. We must always be together, in good times and bad times. Going away allowed us to make a change in our environment and get that spark back. This was not a crisis. We were still playing well, but we didn’t get the results we wanted. It was about being able to take our minds off football for a few days and then come back and work hard. “We had a lot of time to work with the forwards, do some finishing work and other things we wanted to improve on.”
That effort is clearly paying off for Arsenal as the pressure mounts.
“We must believe. We have the quality to do this and when our fans are behind us anything is possible,” says Nketiah. “You have to aim to win and we are no different.”
For the sake of Arsenal fans, they hope the players can finally get the job done.
Eddie Nketiah is wearing Under Armour’s new UA Shadow Elite 2 boots, available now.