Arsenal star Ally McCoist ‘likes’ will not win Mikel Arteta the Premier League title

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Ally McCoist admits that while he ‘likes’ Eddie Nketiah, he does not think Arsenal will win the Premier League title in 2023/24 if boss Mikel Arteta has to rely on the striker.

The 24-year-old has featured in 19 of the Gunners’ 20 top-flight fixtures so far this term and has started 10. Arteta has often had to lean on Nketiah to spearhead his attack at Arsenal as a result of Gabriel Jesus’ injury woes. But goals have rarely come hand-in-hand with outings.

Only Bukayo Saka has scored more goals for Arsenal than Nketiah in the Premier League this season. The winger has hit home six, whilst also assisting seven, to the centre-forward’s five, alongside three assists. But Nketiah has not hit the back of the net since the end of October.

Eddie Nketiah is enjoying his joint-best Premier League campaign for Arsenal

Nketiah has also only scored goals in three of his 19 outings in the Premier League this term. He hit home once in their opening-day win over Nottingham Forest and rippled the Emirates Stadium net against Fulham on matchday three, before his hat-trick against Sheffield United.

Yet, despite only scoring in three games, this season is already Nketiah’s joint-best top-flight campaign so far. He had only scored five goals in a single term once before over the 2021/22 season from 21 appearances. The forward scored four times in 30 games during last season.

Ally McCoist fears for Arsenal’s 2023/24 Premier League title bid

The injury problems Jesus has sustained this term have forced Arteta to keep turning back to Nketiah, nonetheless. Arsenal have been without their first-choice striker for five Premier League games after a knee injury in August and a hamstring injury in October to November.

But McCoist fears Arsenal stand no chance of winning the Premier League title if Arteta has to rely on Nketiah. The north London giants currently sit in fourth place with 40 points from 20 fixtures. Liverpool also hold a five-point advantage over the Gunners atop the table now.

McCoist told talkSPORT: “I like Nketiah but I don’t think he will win you the league, though. “He’ll score goals, and I think he’ll chip in a fair amount. But if you’re talking about Arsenal wanting the league, I don’t think they’re going to do it with Eddie Nketiah as their No9.”