Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah was disappointing in his side’s draw against Tottenham Hotspur, and he was arguably lucky to not be sent off.
The Englishman played the full 90 minutes upfront in yesterday’s 2-2 North London derby draw, and there was an incident in the second half which could have seen him given his marching orders.
As Nketiah was pressing Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, he flew in for the ball, missing it completely, and took the keeper out. He was given a yellow card for this challenge, but former referee Dermot Gallagher has now told Sky Sports that he was lucky that it was not a red.
“Why would you make a challenge like that, I don’t think he could win the ball,” he stated.
“I think if if he got a red card there, I don’t think he can argue. I think he’s been really, really lucky – he’s gone in, he doesn’t have to make this challenge and luckily he hasn’t caught him full-on.
“He actually just misses his leg, if he took his leg, he’s in big, big trouble.”
Nketiah’s frustration
After a bright start to the season, Nketiah failed to deliver in crucial moments during the derby, as he missed a good chance in the first half and struggled to make an impact on the ball.
The 24-year-old did press well and his work rate was relentless, but his frustrations were clear during his challenge on Vicario, as his desperation to get a sniff on the ball increased throughout the game.
Whilst he was perhaps lucky to not be sent off, Mikel Arteta arguably made a mistake by not bringing him off, choosing to withdraw Gabriel Jesus instead, and the yellow card meant that Nketiah could not press with the same intensity as he did before.
It was a poor day for Nketiah overall, but the result could have been a lot worse if he was sent off.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
