Alan Pardew has claimed that Gareth Southgate ‘really’ likes Eddie Nketiah after the England manager watched the striker as Arsenal beat Crystal Palace 1-0 on Monday.
The 24-year-old opened the action at Selhurst Park and won the penalty from which Martin Odegaard scored. Nketiah burst into the Eagles’ area to latch onto Gabriel Martinelli’s quick free-kick. Sam Johnstone could only trip the forward and give David Coote an easy decision.
Nketiah had spurned an inviting chance to give Arsenal the lead earlier on in south London, too. He enjoyed a hatful of openings against Crystal Palace but floated his best chance over the bar. The striker also struck the base of Johnstone’s post after shrugging off Marc Guehi.
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Eddie Nketiah has helped Arsenal to an unbeaten start
Declan Rice and Kai Havertz both created openings for Nketiah to add to his goal at home to Nottingham Forest. Martinelli found the Hale Ender to score Arsenal’s first goal the 2023/24 Premier League season. A slice of fortune helped to guide Nketiah’s effort past Matt Turner.
Scoring on the opening day would have taken a huge weight off Nketiah’s shoulders. He had not scored since netting a brace against Manchester United on January 22. Mikel Arteta still deployed the forward in a further 13 games over the remainder of their 2022/23 campaign.
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Nketiah ended last season with nine goals and three assists from 39 appearances across all competitions. But his haul only featured four goals and two assists from 30 Premier League games. Arteta also started Nketiah in just nine top-flight games when without Gabriel Jesus.
It has again been down to Jesus’ absence this term that Arteta has started the forward, too. The Gunners boss has been without the Brazilian following surgery for a knee injury. But the Spaniard has seen Nketiah step up and produce some important performances with Arsenal.
Pardew and Southgate discussed Nketiah at Crystal Palace
His latest display also came under the careful gaze of Southgate. The England coach was sat beside Pardew in the executive box at Crystal Palace and discussed Nketiah during Arsenal’s 1-0 win. While the forward has convinced Pardew that Nketiah has aspects like Bukayo Saka.
“One of the conversations that we did have which was interesting was about Eddie Nketiah, who I thought played very, very well,” Pardew explained on talkSPORT. “He was so unlucky with the dink, he got too much on it… But I actually thought he reminded me of Ian Wright.
“I said to him, ‘What do you think Gareth? You’ve had him in the juniors?’ He said: ‘Yeah we really like him, he’s quick [and] lively.’
“So, I really hope it is a breakthrough season for that kid – he looks the part. He’s a bit like Saka, he’s a nice person and good luck to him!”
Southgate was already England’s senior manager when Nketiah made his Young Lions debut in March 2017. He is also yet to name the Arsenal forward in a squad since, despite Nketiah becoming England’s record Under-21 goalscorer with 16 across 17 appearances at the level.