On the night when Chelsea’s forward Romelu Lukaku was booed by the home fans, Eddie Nketiah used a Chelsea corner flag as an armrest to complete his celebration after firing Arsenal into a daunting lead. The 22-year-old Arsenal striker reminded the fans at Stamford Bridge of what they missed out on. He took a no holds barred approach as he pretended to dial a telephone, suggesting to the Chelsea fanatics that they should call him if they need a lethal striker which Lukaku had promised to be.
In the not-so-distant past, Nketiah was let go from Chelsea at the tender age of 15 and Arsenal were quick to respond by recognizing the young lad’s potential and admitting him to their academy.
But Nketiah’s start to the Premier League had been rather slow under Mikel Arteta. Arsenal’s number 30 has a mere 15 starts this season and has been fighting for minutes to play. Even though Arteta admits his mismanagement with Nketiah, the English striker never doubts his abilities.
Nketiah describes himself as a brave striker who likes to put himself in places where the chances fall. This alone would give any manager the confidence to build a player whose self-belief is second to none.
Known for his lung-bursting runs, Nketiah was quick to address his goal before Chelsea’s faithful. It was a slight dig that he chose this particular night at the Bridge to score his first two league goals of the season. He might have been waiting under the shadows of the French striker and his teammate, Alexandre Lacazette but came out roaring under the blinding floodlights of Chelsea’s castle.
Chelsea fans may not have been furious and even square him off as a one-night miracle’ but the weightage of those goals scored by Nketiah could help the Blues’ bitter city rivals inch closer to a top-four spot. It was a shame for Thomas Tuchel’s men when Arsenal came out on top and got the better of them given their recent slump in form.
“I think it makes that bit more special. I was here up until under-14s and then got let go. So you always have that chip on your shoulder to come and prove yourself.” Nketiah was brimming with confidence after his two massive goals for the Gunners who have just received a glimpse of Nketiah’s impeccable finishing.
Even though the young Arsenal striker is out of contract this summer, he is focused on his duties as a Gunner. A tad late but if stayed at Chelsea, Nketiah would have been an appreciating asset for the Blues who could’ve used him for FA or League cup ties and turned him into a Premier League regular when his time was due.
But for now, Nketiah has the last laugh.
