Former Newcastle United striker Alan Shearer was amazed by one thing that Arsenal star Eddie Nketiah did on Saturday.
Arsenal took on Sheffield United in a Premier League clash at the Emirates Stadium yesterday. Eddie Nketiah was the hero of the afternoon, as he scored a brilliant hat trick to help the Gunners on their way to a 5-0 victory.
All three of Nketiah’s goals were excellently taken. The first touch for his first set him up perfectly to finish, he showed great awareness and anticipation to bag his second, and his third was a long-range thunderbolt that few would have expected from the penalty box poacher.
Nketiah has had his critics. However, he stepped up admirably in Gabriel Jesus’ absence against the Blades. In the Brazilian’s period on the sidelines, Nketiah will get another run in the starting XI. Mikel Arteta now needs the Hale End academy graduate to build on this performance.
Nketiah will take plenty of confidence from his performance against Sheffield United. The £100,000-a-week ace now needs to show that he can perform to such a standard consistently, and against more fearsome opponents.
Alan Shearer blown away by one Eddie Nketiah decision
Alan Shearer was impressed by what he saw from the once-capped England man, who might even have had a fourth goal. When Arsenal were awarded a penalty late on in the match, rather than take it himself, Nketiah elected to hand the ball to Fabio Vieira, who duly opened his account for the campaign from the spot.
Shearer was shocked to see Nketiah give up the opportunity to take a four goal haul from the match. Speaking on Football Daily, the pundit admitted that he “couldn’t believe he [Nketiah] did that.”
Arteta will have been happy to see the 24-year-old give up the spot kick. Getting a goal will have boosted Vieira’s confidence and it shows the strength of the team spirit that has been fostered at the Emirates Stadium.
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