Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah’s reputation is set to be on the line as he is likely to replace the injured Gabriel Jesus once the Premier League returns.
Jesus’ injury is a massive blow for Arsenal’s title credentials
Recently, Brazilian outlet sportv claimed that the decorated forward will be sidelined for 3 months after sustaining a knee injury against Cameroon.
This news is nothing short of season-defining for Mikel Arteta’s side.
Since arriving from Man City for £45 million (Sky Sports), the Brazilian international has been one of the side’s best performers.
However, the 25-year-old’s length injury could spell an end to the Gunners’ title hopes, who currently sit at the top of the league table.
All eyes on Nketiah to deliver
At the backend of last season, the Hale End graduate scored an impressive 5 league goals.
As a result, the club decided to tie the youngster down to a 5-year contract extension, with him receiving a handsome £100,000-a-week in weekly wages in the summer (as per Football.London).
While Nketiah did prove his worth as a reliable goalscorer, the pressure on him to deliver will be on a completely different scale as Arsenal are in a title race.
The club have never been as likely to end up as domestic champions since perhaps the 2015/2016 campaign, where they finished 2nd.
With both Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka thriving out wide, there seems to be no reason to shift either in a more central role.
The repercussions of Nketiah failing to deputize ably would be that many supporters will deem his presence as unworthy of being the second-choice No.9 at the club.
In addition, the 23-year-old will be labeled as the sole reason behind why Arsenal could end up succumbing the Premier League title to Manchester City.
Additionally, the talented forward’s contract extension will be slammed, as there is no denying that he is taking home a sizable pay packet.
Many will go as far as to say that the club should have sold Nketiah to Crystal Palace, as a move looked likely at one point (via Football.London).
So the question remains, will Eddie Nketiah take over from Gabriel Jesus to lead Arsenal to the Premier League title?
Only time will tell.
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