Nketiah proves Arteta wrong, gives Arsenal new life in top 4 race as Lukaku fails to recall such a resurgence
LONDON – A person who is an academy graduate without Premier League The goal is to put his name on it all season, the other being the £97.5m striker signed to win trophies for his side. Both are unpopular and will likely play at different clubs next season after publicly voicing concerns about how they are being used. Arsenal‘S Eddie Nketiah – the 22-year-old only had his 13th start in the top flight Romelu Lukaku Breathe fresh life into the Gunners’ top four hopes with a double in Win 4-2 on Wednesday in Chelsea.
The day after Nketiah gave an interview in which he explained the reasoning behind turning down multiple offers to extend his contract with Arsenal, which expires at the end of the season, he was given the chance to lead the team. lead the goods. Alexandre Lacazette have not yet fully recovered from Covid-19. How he captured his moment.
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Nketiah capped his stellar performance all round with two goals – one in each corresponding to his first Premier League double – to become the first Arsenal player to score twice in this game. for almost 11 years and revived the Gunners’ campaign after three consecutive defeats. Contrast that with Lukaku, who gave a more heated interview in December that prompted Blues boss Thomas Tuchel to quit. Belgium internationally in a move from which his personal form has never recovered.
It was Lukaku’s first game since February 19, a decision informed in part by his opening match in the first, his second win last August, a His goal-scoring debut seemed to signal he was going to take English football by storm after two years honing his craft in Series A with Inter Milan. He touched the ball just 22 times – fewer than any other off-field player on either team – before being substituted minutes after a mixed reception that saw some boos from some Chelsea fans. .
Lukaku slowed down in attack and provided a reminder of what Chelsea have lost in their pressing game when Kai Havertz no leading line. Tuchel suggested on Tuesday that Lukaku is simply not fit enough to start games late and evidence from west London on Wednesday underscores his view that he has more work to do on that matter.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has looked inward for an explanation for Nketiah’s lack of use this season, and welcomed his young striker’s commitment despite receiving little reward for the tribute. his donation in 2022.
“Good things happen to good people,” Arteta said. “If there’s one player that I don’t fair with, it’s him.
“He gives me every right to do something different, and if Eddie doesn’t play more, it’s my fault. If he doesn’t play it’s because of me, as a manager. , I missed something or I didn’t. had the courage to play him. Today he showed me once again how wrong I was.”
Chelsea’s defense was terrible at times – Tuchel was unable to explain the series of individual mistakes that followed – but Arsenal were not the team to capitalize on such late moments, and so Nketiah’s interventions made a welcome change. Perhaps Arteta’s switch to a 3-man defense surprised Tuchel somewhat, but not for the first time, it was individual errors that cost them dearly.
Andreas Christensen’s unfortunate back pass gave Nketiah – who was let go by Chelsea at the age of 14 – an early opportunity, racing across goal to sink Edouard Mendy. Timo Werner’s shot from close range makes the Arsenal goalkeeper give up Aaron Ramsdale an unsightly part as it found its way in, but parity didn’t last long, a good Arsenal move that culminated Emile Smith Rowe Swipe home a good finish from the edge of the box. Cesar Azpilicueta shows a striker’s touch to concede a home goal Mason MountainA cross to send teams on at halftime, but Arsenal made the most of the defensive uncertainty, not being ruled out by Thiago SilvaA mid-round introduction for Christensen.
First, Nketiah’s perseverance paid off when he scored in the 57th minute when Malang Sarr and Silva got into a mess. Then, in the closing moments of the game, Azpilicueta delivered a bizarre penalty in stoppage time like Cedric Soares‘the cross goes behind Bukayo Saka but the captain of The Blues still keeps England international down, leaving referee Jon Moss with a simple decision. Saka launched the kick – his first since missing for England in the Euro 2020 final – and Azpilicueta was left to re-comment with a fan after the final whistle in one incident conveyed a bad feeling around Stamford Bridge after another disappointment the other night.
Audience numbers dropped to 32,249 due to the UK government’s sanctions on boss Roman Abramovich restricting ticket sales, but the drop in audience numbers alone was not the explanation for the third loss. at home for the first time since 1993-94. They also conceded four goals in matches against each other for the first time since 1989-90.
Tuchel, somewhat exasperated, blamed all directions, including his own field soldiers.
“To say the surface is difficult to play here, that sounds like an excuse, but it’s a very, very difficult surface that we have here,” he said. “It was not in our favor. The ball bounced very awkwardly in front of Andreas when he wanted to play this ball. But we still made the same mistake. Real Madrid cost us our ticket to the next round of the Champions League, and this costs us the next game. I can’t remember when we conceded two goals like this. “
There is no guarantee that Nketiah will continue this form, but he certainly won the right to retain his spot for Saturday’s visit. Manchester Uniteda game that now gives Arsenal the chance to take the initiative from Tottenham Hotspur in the race for the top four. Victory would take them past Spurs in fourth place by the time Antonio Conte’s side warm up in Brentford.
It says everything about every team’s vulnerabilities below Liverpool and City of Manchester that Arsenal can lose Crystal Palace, Brighton & Hove Albion and Southampton At a relatively late stage of the campaign, but still beat Chelsea and still have more than one chance of this puncher’s Champions League. The difference can come from bit-part or fringe players taking their chances.
Nketiah serves where Lukaku falters.
