Realistically speaking, it was the sort of chance Chuba Akpom couldn’t miss.
Even Sandra Redknapp herself probably would have struggled to squander Ryan Giles’ sublime left-footed delivery during Middlesbrough’s 2-1 Championship victory over Luton Town last weekend.
But do not underestimate the importance or the value of a striker getting himself in the right place, at precisely the right time, to finish off those sort of chances. Akpom has certainly been doing that recently; ensuring that the silver service provided by Giles and Isaiah Jones, two of the second tier’s most talented and creative widemen, is not going to waste.
Middlesbrough have had real problems with strikers in recent seasons. The lack of a consistent attacking threat dogged Chris Wilder and Neil Warnock prior to their departures. If Akpom can maintain his career-best form in front of goal, however, new head coach Michael Carrick may be able to navigate the sort of issues that beset his more experienced predecessors.
Former Arsenal striker Chuba Akpom can’t stop scoring for Michael Carricks’ Middlesbrough
It is nearly eight years now since Akpom burst onto the scene at Arsenal with a pre-season hat-trick against a Singapore Select XI; Gunners coach Arsene Wenger insisting at the time that the London-born frontman had the ‘potential’ to force his way into the first-team picture.
That didn’t happen, of course. Akpom was sold for just £2 million back in 2018. And, for quite a while, it looked as if his ‘potential’ was destined to always go unfulfilled. The former England U21 international won the Greek Super League title with PAOK in 2019 but he was hardly prolific. Spells at Nottingham Forest, Hull City, Leicester and Brighton, meanwhile, were more ‘miss’ than ‘hit.
As recently as the summer of 2021, Warnock indicated that Middlesbrough were open to offers for Akpom after he scored just five times in 39 games during a difficult debut season at the Riverside. Since returning to the banks of the Tees from a loan spell back in Greece, however, Akpom has been a man reborn. The proverbial ‘bit’ chomped beyond all recognition.
Player of the Month
In 12 starts, Akpom has nine goals this season. Six of those have come in his last eight games, including Saturday’s equaliser against Luton.
“We’ve gone about playing football in a certain way. And trying to go in a certain direction,” Carrick tells Gazette Live. “We try and put the players in positions we feel we’ll get the best out of them. Chuba has been great and he’s hit the ground running since I came through the door.
“Goals help, of course. But his performances for the team, and the work he does for the team, is excellent. It’s been a great spell and hopefully that will continue.”
“I feel like I’m playing the best football of my career so far,” Akpom adds, with some justification.
“I feel like the gaffer has given me that freedom and license to get on the ball. To express myself, dribble and create opportunities for my team-mates.”
With the Fans’ Player of the Month award for November under his belt, Akpom needs only three more goals to make 2022/23 the most prolific campaign of his entire career.
Wenger certainly saw a goalscorer in Akpom. Now, at 27, he’s finally being unleashed. Better late than never.
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