Michael Owen has praised Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah after his ‘brave’ decision to shoot with his weaker foot when opening the scoring at PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday.
The 24-year-old gave the Gunners a 1-0 lead in the 42nd minute of the Group B clash at the Philips Stadion. Mikel Arteta had entrusted Nketiah with leading the Arsenal attack at PSV in a much-changed team having already sealed a spot in the last 16 of the Champions League.
Arsenal claimed the top spot in Group B with a fixture to spare following their 6-0 thrashing of RC Lens. PSV were also already guaranteed to finish as the runners-up before Tuesday’s encounter in the Netherlands. So, Arteta used Arsenal’s trip to PSV as their chance to rotate.
Eddie Nketiah handed Arsenal a 1-0 lead at half-time vs PSV Eindhoven
Nketiah had not started a Champions League game this season before Arsenal visited PSV on Tuesday. The Hale End product had also played just 27 minutes over three appearances from four available matches. He was also yet to score or lay on an assist in Europe this term.
The one-cap England international has only sporadic goals in the Premier League, too. He may boast five goals from 15 appearances, along with two assists, but he scored twice in the first three fixtures. He also added three to that tally with a hat-trick against Sheffield United.
Michael Owen praises Eddie Nketiah after his first Champions League goal
Nketiah seized what has, again, become a rare start to score when Arsenal visited PSV in the Champions League, however. The 5 ft 8 attacker intelligently drilled his shot through the legs of Andre Ramalho Silva after receiving possession from Reiss Nelson on the edge of the box.
The Arsenal academy products combined well after Cedric Soares worked the attack in from a wide-right area. But it was Nketiah’s decision to shoot with his less-favoured left foot that impressed Owen as the Arsenal talent scored his first career Champions League goal at PSV.
“I think he doesn’t want to mark himself,” Owen told TNT Sports 2 (12/12, 18:39). “So, you see he’s got space on the edge of the box. Unless he’s going to run past and go for a near-post run, he’s actually going to pull out. He doesn’t want to step forward and mark himself.
“And then his options are you either take a near touch, a right-foot touch, and then a right-foot [shot]. Or you let it come across your body onto your left and hit it with your left.
“Considering he’s a right-footed player, I mean he’s taken the brave man’s route and it’s a brilliant [finish]. I mean, this lad can finish, can’t he? There’s no question about that.”
This season marks the first campaign that Nketiah and many of the Arsenal first-team squad have been in the Champions League. He has previously scored five and assisted one goal in the Europa League in 21 matches. He also has 19 career goals in 104 Premier League games.
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