Ian Wright told Premier League Productions during their live coverage of Arsenal’s defeat to Everton on Friday that Eddie Nketiah was ‘fortunate’ to start.
After scoring a late equaliser for Arsenal against Fulham last time out, Mikel Arteta opted to push for Nketiah ahead of Gabriel Martinelli, with Alexandre Lacazette injured and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ill.
Even though Nketiah came off the bench and did the business previously, many Arsenal fans were suggesting that they wanted their Brazilian teenager to start against Everton, but it wasn’t to be.
But Wright has now warned Nketiah that he has three players – Folarin Balogun, Martinelli and Aubameyang on his tail and he needs to ‘push on’.
“The manager said he preferred him over Martinelli, which I thought he was fortunate to get that because Martinelli gives a different thrust up there,” said Wright.
“I think with the signing of Balogun, Martinelli and Aubameyang coming back. He does really now need to push on – he needs to start to make a stand in games.”
These do feel like career-defining games for Nketiah at Arsenal because if he’s unable to cut the mustard here then he might just be out of the door in the summer.
Arsenal are sitting mid-table, heading for their worst season in decades, but are jam-packed with players that aren’t good enough for where they want to go.
And given that Nketiah has only started one Premier League game since the turn of the year, his name does come up as a possibility that could be moved on when the transfer window re-opens.
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