Arteta's baptism by fire, defensive frailties & Euro vision: Nketiah on all things Arsenal

Mikel Arteta’s introduction to life in management has been nothing short of a baptism by fire. The Arsenal manager was one of the first from the Premier League to test positive for coronavirus, which ultimately led to the three-month lockdown. Now back in action trying to get the Gunners to fire straight, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal have found the going tough, as the manager tries to steady the ship at the Emirates. One of the players Arteta has often turned to since the restart has been 21-year-old Eddie Nketiah. Often preferred in favour of Alexandre Lacazette in attack, Nketiah spoke to Star Sports India this week about all things Arsenal; including their faltering form, problems in defence and why the players are backing the manager come hell or high water.

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Leeds' loss, Arsenal's gain as Eddie Nketiah leads the line

Eddie Nketiah scored five goals in 19 appearances for Marcelo Bielsa’s promotion-chasing Leeds in the first half of the season. When regular starts at Elland Road were hard to come by, Arsenal recalled Nketiah from loan. The former Chelsea youth prospect has since found a new lease of life under Arteta. Arsenal as a collective, however, have found it difficult to gain a foothold in the upper half of the Premier League table.

Eddie Nketiah is aware of the situation the Gunners find themselves in. “We had very good moments in both of those games (Man City, Brighton) so there were positives to take. But we wanted to get points on the board and start winning games, to build a bit of momentum. The last two games (Southampton, Sheffield United) have been great for us. We’re looking to build on from that and keep pushing forward.”

Nketiah was on the scoresheet in the 2-0 win at St Mary’s in what was a vital three points for the Gunners in their quest for a place in the Europa League next season. The task ahead, however, is daunting, to say the least. Five of their remaining fixtures are against opposition higher up the table, with the Gunners still to face Jurgen Klopp’s record-chasing Liverpool and Pep Guardiola’s Man City (in the FA Cup) after a visit to Tottenham.

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A difficult fixtures list stands in the way of the Gunners featuring in Europe next season. This, combined with their defensive frailties means that Arsenal are left with a mountain to climb in their remaining Premier League games. All too often, their brittleness in defence has come into question, with Pablo Mari now added to the injury list. "I think that first of all it’s disappointing for the players, for the individuals, we’re upset for them because obviously, they’ve worked so hard during the season, and then to get an injury it shows how difficult it is. Like you said, Pablo is out for a few months and we’re going to miss him - he’s a good player and it’s just about staying as a family, keeping your spirits high through those difficult times."

Despite this daunting snowballing of crisis after crisis, Eddie Nketiah is upbeat about Arsenal's chances for the rest of the season. "Mikel (Arteta) is a good manager and he knows exactly what he’s doing. We just trust everything that he’s going to do and as players, all you can do is just give your best each time whatever the line-up is, each player’s ready when called upon. That’s the good thing about the team."

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Once a Blue, now leading the line for the red half of north London - Eddie Nketiah

Once exiled from Chelsea, the 21-year-old striker has now found a home at the Emirates. Coming from the same corner of London that gave Arsenal Ian Wright, Eddie Nketiah is aware that the stakes are high for the Gunners in what has been a tumultuous season. As they desperately fight for a place in Europe next season, Mikel Arteta is likely to turn to Eddie Nketiah to lead the line time and again. The Gunners now have seven games to pull off a heist with Euro vision in their sights, and Nketiah is likely to play a role in each of those games.

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To catch Arsenal's push for Europe live, tune in to Star Sports Select

Cover Image Courtesy: Eddie Nketiah Twitter