Eddie Nketiah claps the fans after Arsenal's draw with Brentford

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'Mikel Arteta has helped me come on leaps and bounds' - Eddie Nketiah credits Arsenal coach with his improvement

Eddie Nketiah credited Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta for the improvement in his game this season and thanked him for keeping faith in him.

Nketiah credits Arteta for improvement
Reveals advice he received from coach
Has scored nine goals this season

WHAT HAPPENED? Nketiah claimed that on his first day as Arsenal manager, Arteta had told him that he believes in his abilities and will give him opportunities to showcase his talent. The striker also spoke about the technical and tactical advice he received from the Spaniard.

WHAT THEY SAID: Speaking to The Times, Nketiah said: "It’s been nice under Mikel, it’s been stable. I have to say since the day he came in, he said: ‘I believe in you and I’ll give you opportunities’, and he’s done that I’ve improved so much thanks to him... Of course, [other areas of my game have] improved; the tactical understanding, the knowledge of the areas and spaces to go into to receive a pass and affect defenders more, the build-up play — these are all things where Mikel has helped me to come on leaps and bounds.

"But taking on players, running in behind, I’ve always had that, always had more than goals. When you score a lot of goals in your [youth] career, that’s the only thing people see, the numbers. I’m 23 and humble enough to accept I’m not the finished article. If I’m at a level where I can affect games in the Premier League. That’s the exciting part because I know there are lots of ways I can still improve."

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THE BIGGER PICTURE: The Englishman has appeared in 27 matches for Arsenal in all competitions this season, scoring nine times which includes four in the Premier League. He scored twice in Arsenal's crucial 3-2 win over Manchester United last month.

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