There is no rest for Arsenal right now as they prepare to take on Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
The Gunners continued their push for the Premier League title on Saturday evening, beating Brighton and Hove Albion 3-0 away from home.
Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard were all on the scoresheet as Arsenal turned in a superb performance.
Three points, three goals, a clean sheet – this was pretty much the perfect away day for Mikel Arteta and co.
Crucially, Arsenal didn’t appear to pick up any new injury problems as they challenge for silverware.
The attention now turns to Champions League action with Arsenal hosting Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final clash.
Bayern are a huge name in Champions League history but they are not having their best season and Arsenal will have genuine hope of a win.
Gabriel Jesus on ‘unbelievable’ Arsenal player
Arteta will be weighing up his team selection for this game and he will face some tricky decisions in attack.
Saka, Havertz and Gabriel Jesus started in attack at Brighton whilst Trossard came off the bench to score.
Add in that Gabriel Martinelli is back from injury and has made three substitute appearances in the last three games and it’s clear that Arteta has an embarrassment of riches.
The Spaniard will be figuring out which attacking trio to go with, but the one attacker few would expect to start is Eddie Nketiah.
Nketiah has not started a single game in 2024 and has played just 113 minutes of action across nine substitute appearances.
Nketiah is clearly down the pecking order at Arsenal but he has received some praise from Jesus.
Speaking at his press conference this afternoon, as captured by Beanyman Sports, Jesus suggested that Nketiah is ‘unbelievable’ in terms of the work he puts in during training.
Jesus admits that it isn’t easy for him or Nketiah to not be playing up front, but accepts that Havertz is in ‘amazing’ form right now.
“This part of the season, I put my ego aside and I just help the best way and then do what the manager asks and wants,” said Jesus. “Obviously, it’s not easy – not only for me but for Eddie as well. Eddie, if you see the way he works, it’s unbelievable. Kai is amazing, having amazing games, scoring, helping a lot, so that is the price you have to pay to be in a huge club and you have to fight to play,” he added.
Nketiah must leave Arsenal this summer
Nketiah has committed his future to Arsenal in the past but the time has come for him to go on.
The 24-year-old just isn’t playing regularly enough right now and hasn’t scored a Premier League goal since his hat-trick against Sheffield United in October.
Nketiah has given his all for Arsenal and has tried everything to make it work, but he can’t just sit on the bench forever.
There will be Premier League clubs more than willing to give Nketiah a bigger role and whilst leaving Arsenal would hurt, he has to think about his career.
We would be stunned to see Nketiah start against Bayern on Tuesday and we think he is in the final stages of his Arsenal career with a summer exit surely in mind.
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