'Like a beast!' - Mikel Arteta says Arsenal hero Eddie Nketiah sums up what he wants from Gunners stars this season

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was thrilled with forward Eddie Nketiah's performance after their 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest on opening day.

Nketiah scored the opening goal
Englishman filling in for injured Gabriel Jesus
Arsenal start season with 2-0 win

WHAT HAPPENED? The Arsenal coach had special praise for the forward after his goalscoring heroics in the first Premier League match of the 2023-24 campaign.

WHAT THEY SAID: “Eddie sums up what we want this season in terms of the squad,” Arteta said. “He was a player who was really disappointed not to start against Manchester City in the absence of [Gabriel Jesus], but he had an incredible impact in the game against City and he trained this week like a beast."

“A lot of players ask: ‘Why am I not playing?’, and the thing is that Eddie is telling you: ‘Look at all the reasons I’m giving you to play me’. When you play him, after you know you’re going to have that response because he’s not looking for excuses or anything, he’s looking at his own performance and what he can do for the team. This is the example that everyone has to look at.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: After missing out on a start in the Community Shield against Manchester City last weekend, Nketiah followed with a standout performance for the Gunners against Forest on Saturday.

IN TWO PHOTOS:

Getty

Getty

WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL AND NKETIAH?: The 24-year-old forward will look to continue his form as the Premier Leagues season gets underway. With starting striker Gabriel Jesus out injured, Nketiah has a chance to earn the start in a string of matches.

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