Arsenal laboured to a 1-1 draw at PSV Eindhoven in their final Champions League group game, with their place in the knockout rounds already secured.
The Gunners were playing in the Champions League for the first time since 2017, and stormed through the group stages, confirming their spot as group winners with a 6-0 victory over RC Lens a few weeks ago.
This meant that there was little on the line when it came to the PSV clash, and this allowed Mikel Arteta to rotate his squad. Cedric Soares and Mohamed Elneny made their first starts of the season, but there was frustration as the talented youngsters within the squad were not handed an opportunity to play.
Eddie Nketiah returned to the starting lineup after being benched for the last five Premier League games, and he seized his chance by scoring an excellent goal in the first half. However, there was another player who completely stole the show.
Reiss Nelson was Arsenal’s best player against PSV Eindhoven
Fellow academy graduate Reiss Nelson was handed a rare start as he lined up on the right in place of Bukayo Saka, and he took full advantage of the opportunity handed to him.
The 24-year-old was electric on the ball throughout the game, and produced a well-worked assist for Nketiah’s goal.
His dribbling ability particularly stood out, as he completed five dribbles, and won an astonishing 12 duels, causing PSV left-back Mauro Junior nightmares.
Nelson’s work rate was also outstanding, as he won four tackles, whilst also creating two chances for his teammates, and he was described as Arsenal’s “star man” by journalist Charles Watts.
Reiss Nelson deserves more chances at Arsenal
This was Nelson’s third start of the season in all competitions, after starts in both Carabao Cup matches against Brentford and West Ham.
He has been on the pitch for just 60 minutes of Premier League action this season, and now deserves more chances to shine alongside the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Martin Odegaard.
Nelson can play on both wings, and offers speed which has been a concern when it comes to Arsenal’s other wide options.
Leandro Trossard is typically Arteta’s go-to substitute when changing his front line, but Saturday’s defeat to Aston Villa saw Arsenal lose their attacking threat when he replaced Gabriel Martinelli.
Nelson scored the winner against Brentford on one of his other starts, and now deserves more opportunities to prove his quality.
He signed a new contract in the summer after rejecting plenty of interest from elsewhere, and it would be a waste of talent to keep the Englishman on the bench and not build upon his strong perfomance.
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