Eddie Nketiah earns high praise from Rio Ferdinand following Arsenal's win over Nottingham Forest
Renowned football figure Rio Ferdinand has underscored Eddie Nketiah's potential significance in Arsenal's pursuit of the Premier League title this season.
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In a surprising move by Mikel Arteta, the 24-year-old was granted a starting position during Saturday's kickoff, as Arsenal commenced their campaign with a victorious 2-1 result against Nottingham Forest.
Nketiah showcased glimpses of his capabilities in the previous season while standing in for the injured Gabriel Jesus. Nonetheless, he commenced the recent Community Shield triumph over Manchester City on the bench, as the summer signing Kai Havertz was given the nod to start.
Hailing from the Hale End Academy, Nketiah grasped the opportunity to shine on Saturday, impressively slotting home his team's inaugural goal of the season. A deflected shot culminated from a skilful manoeuvre by Gabriel Martinelli, highlighting Nketiah's potential contribution to the squad's offensive prowess.
In an arena abundant with exceptional talents, Nketiah's contributions have occasionally been overshadowed. Yet, Ferdinand believes that his role within the team should not be underestimated. As Arsenal aspires to surpass its achievements from the prior season, Nketiah's role could prove pivotal in the pursuit of their aspirations.
He told TNT Sports: "He would have seen people saying is he the right guy, can he show the responsibility if Jesus isn’t fit, is he someone who can score the goals to get them to win the league and help them become a successful team?
"He answers people. This kid knows how to score goals he’s done it all his career. I don’t know him personally but I know people around him and he’s worked on himself physically.
"He is diligent behind the scenes, got a great work ethic. Whatever you think of him he knows how to put the ball in the back of the net. He can finish.
"Man City won the league with someone who scored 51 goals from the centre-forward position.
"Arsenal don’t have that guy to do that but they have the potential to do it through a cluster of players.
"He’s very valuable. He showed last year when Jesus got injured, for a period of time he didn’t go unnoticed".
