Garth Crooks has praised Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah on BBC Sport for his performance against Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium at the weekend.
The former Tottenham Hotspur forward has included the Arsenal striker in his BBC Premier League Team of the Week.
Crooks has admitted that he did not think that Nketiah would do so well in the absence of the injured Gabriel Jesus.
The 23-year-old striker scored two goals in Arsenal’s win against United at home in the Premier League this past weekend.
The Gunners remain at the top of the league table.
Garth Crooks on Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah
Crooks wrote: “I honestly thought that the loss of Gabriel Jesus to injury would have a devastating effect on Arsenal’s title chances. I couldn’t have been further from the truth.
“Jesus was in sparkling form before he got injured at the World Cup but from the day Eddie Nketiah came into the Arsenal team to deputise for Jesus, he has been in blistering goalscoring form.
“His goals-per-game ratio has been off the chart. The striker has scored seven goals in his past seven games and would have added to that tally had it not been for some brilliant goalkeeping by David de Gea on Sunday.
“What Arteta does when Jesus is fit is anyone’s guess but if he were to play 4-4-2 with Jesus and Nketiah up front as a partnership, it’s game over.”
Impressive
In our view, Eddie Nketiah has been hugely impressive for Arsenal so far this season.
The former Leeds United loanee is a different kind of striker to Gabriel Jesus, and Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been able to play to his strengths.
The 23-year-old is very good in and around the penalty box, and his two goals against Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium in the Premier League this past weekend typified that.
Nketiah is still a very young striker who is developing and improving as a footballer.
Just imagine how good the Arsenal star will be in a few years’ time if he continues to get playing time…
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