Ex-Arsenal striker Alan Smith says Eddie Nketiah must continue to play at the same level he showed against Wolves in the 2-1 win last night.
Manager Mikel Arteta threw the 22-year-old on with 15 minutes to go, replacing fullback Cedric Soares with the Gunners 1-0 down. The change in personnel and system paid off with Nketiah duly delivering an assist for Nicolas Pepe’s equaliser. Smith is looking for the forward to continue in the same vein in future matches over the coming weeks:
Much better from Nketiah. That’s the standard from here on in
— Alan Smith (@9smudge) February 24, 2022
With Nketiah looking destined to leave the Emirates when his contract expires in the summer, it doesn’t look like supporters will see the striker in a Gunners shirt on many more occasions anyway.
However, if he can help the London club secure a top-four finish between now and May, there won’t be many who will begrudge him his desire to move on at the end of the season and find regular first-team football elsewhere.