Arsenal ended their losing run in style on Wednesday evening, beating Chelsea 4-2 at Stamford Bridge.
The Gunners had a number of standout performers against their London rivals, Martin Odgeaard was a joy to watch and Bukayo Saka was as brilliant as ever, but the night truly belonged to Eddie Nketiah.
Indeed, Nketiah scored twice against Chelsea in what may have to be considered his greatest ever performance in an Arsenal shirt, and there’s reason to believe he could kick on from here.
Cast your mind back to 18 months ago, Arsenal were once again on a run of bad form when they came up against Chelsea and it was another youngster who stole the show that day – Emile Smith Rowe.
Smith Rowe was trusted to play as the Gunners’ number 10 against the Blues on Boxing day in 2020, and he’s not looked back since, and after this star-making performance, the same could happen for Nketiah under the exact same circumstances.
The striker must be brimming with confidence right now, and with a lack of depth up top for Arsenal, that number nine shirt is there for the taking.
Nketiah has always had the talent to make that next step. After all, he is England U21s’ all-time record goalscorer, but he’s never really had that spark to ignite his career at club level – until now that is.
Look at Smith Rowe’s rise, he went from being a fringe player being loaned to Huddersfield to a bona fide star, all off the back of one showing against the Blues, and now, Nketiah finds himself in that same situation.
Of course, there is the small issue surrounding his contract, which expires in the summer, but the striker confirmed on The Beautiful Game Podcast this week that he has been offered new terms, and if he keeps his place in the team and keeps performing, he could put pen to paper.
Chelsea may have once again unlocked the potential of another young Arsenal star.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
