Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah failed to make the most of his chances as the Gunners slipped to a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Manchester City on Wednesday night.
The 23-year-old missed a free header when it was still 0-0 in the first half, after Oleksandr Zinchenko delivered a pinpoint cross into the box. He also failed to make a good connection with a more difficult header after the interval.
Supporters on Twitter were disappointed that Nketiah failed to hit his straps in one of the biggest games of the season:
Went from fox in the box to ox in the box
— Sumit (@SumitIsAGunner) February 15, 2023
Nketiah coming in needed to two things to really settle into the team as a permanent fixture. Firstly, that initial impact to show he can do and second to sustain it when the expectation is there. He passed the first test but failed the second. He will be dropped quickly.
— gazza (@gareth227) February 15, 2023
He gets into good positions and scores more goals than Jesus but he's really never been clinical for us.
— jonuup (@jonuuup) February 15, 2023
Not good enough. He should be the 4th choice
— JEU (@38f32408cc794b3) February 15, 2023
Eddie is a mid table player.
Wont even be a starter for mid table clubs— jay madan (@jaymadan) February 15, 2023
He's not good enough I'm sorry kudos to him and his few good performances but he's not a player who can help us win a title
— Natty (@NattyB876) February 15, 2023
Eddie has done well in Jesus absence but he was not ruthless enough with the chances. In big games at key moments you need to take them. At 1-1 especially he needs to score that chance Saka puts on a plate. Nothing against Eddie but we need Jesus back as quick as possible.
— declan o sullivan (@decysull) February 15, 2023
He’s a great guy and a great player to have in the squad. He should be our Solskjaer for years to come. But you don’t win leagues or even compete for then with just Eddie up top.
— Nick Maugham (@Nilschers4ever) February 15, 2023
Some fans do have short memories. Without his goals, the Gunners wouldn’t have secured victory against Manchester United last month, and he also got on the scoresheet in wins over West Ham and Brighton.
However, it’s no coincidence that his contributions in front of goal have dried up at the same that Mikel Arteta’s side have failed to pick up results. With Gabriel Jesus closing in on a return to action, Nketiah knows he may not have many more opportunities to start matches.
