Thrilling Showdown at Old Trafford: Eddie Nketiah Eyeing Redemption against Manchester United

There are concerns about Mikel Arteta's decision-making as Arsenal continues to perform well in the Premier League. It seems that people believe Arteta, who is known for his association with Pep Guardiola, is overanalyzing matters.

The inclusion of Thomas Partey in the defensive line and the preference for Leandro Trossard instead of the in-form Eddie Nketiah in the recent match against Fulham has sparked speculation. Gary Neville has urged the Gunners to "address their issues and revert to a system that suits them."

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That sentiment was shared by Paul Merson, who told We: "I do worry for Arsenal. Arteta is changing things around.

"I find it quite perplexing. This experiment constantly demands a level of trust in your players. What was the reasoning behind Nketiah not starting against Fulham?"

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In addition, the 24-year-old managed to score as a substitute in the match against Fulham. It seems that Arteta realized his mistake in starting Trossard when he made the decision to replace the Belgian international with Nketiah at half-time.

However, this is not the first time that Arteta has opted for a false nine instead of Nketiah to spearhead the attack. In the Community Shield match against Manchester City, he also chose to use Havertz in that position.

Despite Gabriel Jesus's absence at the beginning of the season because of an injury, Nketiah must have seen a chance to establish himself in the initial fixtures. Regrettably, he has only been given the opportunity to start in half of Arsenal's matches.

Nonetheless, Arteta has expressed his admiration for Nketiah in public this month, commending him for being a genuine threat and displaying great determination, as stated after the Fulham game.

In the aftermath of the victory against Forest, the manager mentioned that Nketiah had conveyed through his training performance, "Gaffer, if I don't get to play, you are blind."

Given Nketiah's productivity both in training sessions and matches, it appears puzzling why Arteta still seems to have reservations about placing complete trust in him.

The answer may lie in the data, which shows that Nketiah is less creative than his rivals for the No 9 shirt - while he also has a concerning habit of missing big chances.

Nketiah offers less contribution in creating chances and constructing moves for his teammates compared to both Jesus and Trossard, as he produces fewer assists and completed final-third passes per 90 minutes.

Furthermore, Nketiah has the poorest expected goals differential among all Arsenal players since the beginning of last season. In addition, during that period, he has missed more big chances per 90 minutes in the Premier League than only Darwin Nunez.

However, Nketiah remains a consistently effective goalscorer, despite his tendency to squander numerous opportunities. His goal-scoring record surpasses that of Jesus and significantly outperforms Trossard's.

Nketiah's expected goals tally is remarkably high, placing him third in the Premier League per 90 minutes since August, only behind Erling Haaland and Callum Wilson. Additionally, he ranks ninth among all forwards in passing accuracy during this period. This indicates that Nketiah has the potential to increase his contribution to his team's gameplay. Furthermore, although he requires multiple opportunities to score, his ability to capitalize on numerous chances helps compensate for this tendency.

However, it is possible that the doubts surrounding Nketiah's quality go beyond just the statistics. His association with the Arsenal academy could be seen as both an advantage and a disadvantage. On one hand, Nketiah enjoys the support of fans as a homegrown player, with hopes for his success. But on the other hand, he may lack the allure of being a thrilling new signing, like Jesus, who was brought in by the club following impressive performances elsewhere.

The perception could be that Nketiah is a familiar face, deemed capable of securing a spot in the team, but lacking the prowess to become a consistent starter.

Additionally, Nketiah's track record is rather limited when it comes to making a compelling argument. Apart from an underwhelming loan stint with Leeds, he has never begun more than nine league matches in a single season, despite being 24 years old.

When Nketiah considered the possibility of departing from Arsenal last summer, it was significant that Crystal Palace and RB Leipzig, rather than Arsenal's fellow big-six teams, showed the most interest in acquiring his services.

Now that Jesus has returned from injury, Nketiah's path to securing regular playing time, which is crucial for him to demonstrate his true value, is poised to become even more challenging.

Nketiah can find encouragement in Arsenal's upcoming fixture against Manchester United at the Emirates on Sunday. This match marks their most challenging test of the current season. It is worth noting that the striker had a remarkable performance against the same team last season, scoring two goals, including a last-minute winner, leading Arsenal to a 3-2 victory.

Nketiah's impressive performance as a substitute against Fulham could possibly earn him a spot in Sunday's starting lineup. If he can deliver a similar performance against United, he has the potential to alleviate Arteta's challenges. Watch live Premier League matches on We with NOW for only £26 a month, valid for 12 months. Cancel anytime.