The Arsenal owner has expressed dissatisfaction with a particular Arsenal player’s performance against Newcastle, emphasizing that this player was worse than Kai Havertz and even had fewer passes than the goalkeeper. The owner has urged Mikel Arteta to swiftly replace this “anonymous” player who underperformed in the recent match.
Arsenal faced Newcastle and suffered a 1-0 defeat, leaving fans and management disappointed. While the officiating was a topic of discussion, the focus here is on the player whose performance came under scrutiny. Despite a solid defensive display and a midfield battle won by Declan Rice, Arsenal’s attack seemed lacking, and the player in question had a subpar performance.
Eddie Nketiah, the Arsenal forward, was the center of attention after his lackluster showing. Just a week prior, Nketiah had a stellar performance against Sheffield United, scoring a Premier League hat-trick. However, his inconsistency and mediocre away performances were evident in the Newcastle game. In 52 league away games, he had only scored five times, a statistic that fell short of the club’s expectations.
During the Newcastle match, Nketiah struggled to make an impact due to a lack of service and a failure to make himself available to receive the ball. His performance statistics were far from impressive, with just 33 touches and 16 completed passes, making him the worst performer among the starting Arsenal players. Even substitute Oleksandr Zinchenko managed more passes with 30, highlighting Nketiah’s struggles. Moreover, only two of Nketiah’s passes were in the final third, which is concerning for a focal point in the attack.
Nketiah’s offensive contribution was minimal as he managed only one off-target shot and failed to complete any of his two attempted dribbles. Additionally, he had a low success rate in ground and aerial duels, winning only 33% of ground duels and 40% of aerial duels. As a result, some critics, including Arseblog’s Andrew Allen, labeled his performance as “anonymous.”
This disappointing display from Nketiah raises questions about Arsenal’s attacking options, particularly in the absence of Gabriel Jesus, whose fitness record has been inconsistent. The need for a new striker in January is becoming more apparent, and the decision to acquire one may determine Arsenal’s title-winning aspirations.
