Reiss Nelson recalls moment in Brentford v Arsenal that ‘upset’ him

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Reiss Nelson scored a match-winning goal for Arsenal against Brentford on Wednesday evening.

Arsenal had to battle to clinch a 1-0 win against Brentford in their EFL Cup third round clash on Wednesday evening. The Gunners had Reiss Nelson to thank for their victory.

The 23-year-old winger grabbed the only goal of the game and was one of Arsenal’s standout players throughout the encounter. Nelson showed great composure in scoring his goal, and demonstrated excellent work rate during the match, constantly tracking back to help out his defence. He also looked comfortable on the ball and was always trying to drive his side forward.

Mikel Arteta will have been delighted with the Hale End academy graduate’s influence on the match.

Nelson will struggle to get regular starts for the north London club this season, with the likes of Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, and Bukayo Saka ahead of him in the pecking order. 

However, there will be instances when the £100,000-a-week wide man is needed, and he has shown now on numerous occasions that he can be relied upon to shine when required. Performances like the one he produced against the Bees go a long way towards justifying the club’s decision to hand Nelson a new contract in the summer. 

Nelson reflects on key moment

Speaking after the match, Nelson reflected on the passage of play that led to his goal in the 8th minute. As quoted by the club’s official website, he said, “I know Eddie [Nketiah] likes to press, he’s aggressive upfront, baggy touch from their centre-back and Eddie pounced on it, kind of laid it off to me, but I thought the defender got there before me, I was a bit upset – but I carried on with my movement and I got it, slotted it into the bottom corner.”

The persistence Nelson showed when continuing his movement, despite the disappointment of assuming the ball wouldn’t reach him, is admirable, and was ultimately rewarded then the chance did indeed fall his way.

He may also have some frustration about the fact he failed to double his tally when Kai Havertz cut the ball back to him in the second half. Nelson’s finish on that occasion was wide of the mark.