Sport nationArsenal gem can cause “problems” for Fulham yet again, alongside Havertz
The Gunners will be looking for a response following their recent defeat at home to the Hammers.
Kai-Havertz-Arsenal-Luton
While still firmly in the mix near the top of the Premier League table, Arsenal’s title hopes have taken a real hit over the last week or so, having dropped points in each of their last two top-flight outings.
Although a 1-1 draw away to title rivals Liverpool is no disgrace, the subsequent loss at home to West Ham United will have come as a real setback for manager Mikel Arteta, with a response needed against Fulham this afternoon.
MixCollage-24-Dec-2023-12-17-AM-2353
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That clash with the Cottagers will likely see Kai Havertz return to the fold following his absence due to suspension last time out, the £65m summer signing growing into a key figure for his new side after scoring three goals across his last six league outings.
Having drawn a blank on Thursday night, the Emirates outfit will be hoping that the German playmaker can continue his recent scoring spree against Marco Silva’s men, with it also a chance for Eddie Nketiah to come into the fray to once again wreak havoc on today’s opponents.
Eddie Nketiah’s record vs Fulham
On the face of it, the Englishman’s goal return against Fulham is not wholly eye-catching, having scored twice in only five career meetings with the west Londoners.
That being said, the Gunners academy graduate has regularly been a thorn in the side of the Craven Cottage outfit, only recently scoring in the 2-2 draw at the Emirates earlier in the campaign, giving the hosts the lead only to see his effort cancelled out late on by Joao Palhinha.
The 24-year-old marksman had dazzled after coming off the bench in that entertaining encounter having made a ‘superb impact’ in the words of football.london’s Kaya Kaynak, while even being handed the captain’s armband late on.
A year earlier, the one-time Leeds United loanee was also impressive during his cameo off the bench in the 2-1 win on home soil, with journalist Charles Watts stating that he “caused Fulham so many problems” on the day.
That was a sentiment echoed by Kaynak in his player ratings pieces at the time, awarding the striker a 7/10 match rating while writing that he ’caused problems for the Fulham backline with his energy and intensity’ – something he may look to replicate this afternoon.
Prior to that, the one-cap international memorably scored a dramatic, stoppage-time winner against the Cottagers back in April 2021 to nudge the visitors ever closer toward relegation, showcasing his predatory finishing instincts to prod home at the back post.
Eddie Nketiah’s season by numbers
The Gunners could well be in need of that clinical presence on the evidence of the midweek defeat to the Hammers, with Gabriel Jesus having been particularly ‘wasteful’ – as per The Standard’s Simon Collings – after missing two gilt-edged chances in the contest.
That outing has only enhanced the calls for a new centre-forward to be brought in during the January transfer window, yet in the short-term, Nketiah – who has himself been linked with an exit – needs to be trusted with the chance to show what he can do from the start.
gabriel-jesus-arsenal-transfer-arteta-edu-monaco-folarin-balogun
While the £100k-per-week asset has been far from prolific this season, he does still boast a respectable haul of five goals and three assists from 18 league appearances – with only half of those outings coming from the start.
By contrast, that man Jesus has netted just three goals and provided only one assist in 14 top-flight games, begging the question as to why Arteta continues to persist with the Brazilian as his go-to number nine.
Nketiah’s Premier League season by numbers
18 games (9 starts)
5 goals
1 assist
82% pass accuracy rate
1 big chance created
0.4 key passes per game
1 ball recovered per game
4 big chances missed
6.94 avg. match rating
Stats via Sofascore
If Nketiah does feature from the start this afternoon, it would represent an opportunity to showcase that he can have a long-term future in north London, even if a new striker is signed next month.
Having caused problems for Fulham on numerous occasions previously, why can’t he do so again?
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Robbie is a content and opinion writer who has been working in the world of football media over the past few years.
Having graduated from university in 2020, Robbie spent a couple of years working as an intern or in freelance positions across a variety of sites, including 90min and Football Faithful, before joining the team at Snack Media in Spring 2022.
After beginning life at Snack as part of the company’s academy set-up, Robbie was selected to join their flagship website, Football FanCast, as an opinion writer, before going on to rise up through the ranks to now taking on the role of Assistant Editor.
Robbie is a Manchester United fan, but also has a particular fondness for both Celtic and Wycombe Wanderers.
Arsenal gem can cause “problems” for Fulham yet again, alongside Havertz
The Gunners will be looking for a response following their recent defeat at home to the Hammers.
Kai-Havertz-Arsenal-Luton
While still firmly in the mix near the top of the Premier League table, Arsenal’s title hopes have taken a real hit over the last week or so, having dropped points in each of their last two top-flight outings.
Although a 1-1 draw away to title rivals Liverpool is no disgrace, the subsequent loss at home to West Ham United will have come as a real setback for manager Mikel Arteta, with a response needed against Fulham this afternoon.
MixCollage-24-Dec-2023-12-17-AM-2353
RELATED
Arteta must drop Martinelli & unleash Arsenal’s £100k-p/w “game changer”
That clash with the Cottagers will likely see Kai Havertz return to the fold following his absence due to suspension last time out, the £65m summer signing growing into a key figure for his new side after scoring three goals across his last six league outings.
Having drawn a blank on Thursday night, the Emirates outfit will be hoping that the German playmaker can continue his recent scoring spree against Marco Silva’s men, with it also a chance for Eddie Nketiah to come into the fray to once again wreak havoc on today’s opponents.
Eddie Nketiah’s record vs Fulham
On the face of it, the Englishman’s goal return against Fulham is not wholly eye-catching, having scored twice in only five career meetings with the west Londoners.
That being said, the Gunners academy graduate has regularly been a thorn in the side of the Craven Cottage outfit, only recently scoring in the 2-2 draw at the Emirates earlier in the campaign, giving the hosts the lead only to see his effort cancelled out late on by Joao Palhinha.
The 24-year-old marksman had dazzled after coming off the bench in that entertaining encounter having made a ‘superb impact’ in the words of football.london’s Kaya Kaynak, while even being handed the captain’s armband late on.
A year earlier, the one-time Leeds United loanee was also impressive during his cameo off the bench in the 2-1 win on home soil, with journalist Charles Watts stating that he “caused Fulham so many problems” on the day.
That was a sentiment echoed by Kaynak in his player ratings pieces at the time, awarding the striker a 7/10 match rating while writing that he ’caused problems for the Fulham backline with his energy and intensity’ – something he may look to replicate this afternoon.
Prior to that, the one-cap international memorably scored a dramatic, stoppage-time winner against the Cottagers back in April 2021 to nudge the visitors ever closer toward relegation, showcasing his predatory finishing instincts to prod home at the back post.
Eddie Nketiah’s season by numbers
The Gunners could well be in need of that clinical presence on the evidence of the midweek defeat to the Hammers, with Gabriel Jesus having been particularly ‘wasteful’ – as per The Standard’s Simon Collings – after missing two gilt-edged chances in the contest.
That outing has only enhanced the calls for a new centre-forward to be brought in during the January transfer window, yet in the short-term, Nketiah – who has himself been linked with an exit – needs to be trusted with the chance to show what he can do from the start.
gabriel-jesus-arsenal-transfer-arteta-edu-monaco-folarin-balogun
While the £100k-per-week asset has been far from prolific this season, he does still boast a respectable haul of five goals and three assists from 18 league appearances – with only half of those outings coming from the start.
By contrast, that man Jesus has netted just three goals and provided only one assist in 14 top-flight games, begging the question as to why Arteta continues to persist with the Brazilian as his go-to number nine.
Nketiah’s Premier League season by numbers
18 games (9 starts)
5 goals
1 assist
82% pass accuracy rate
1 big chance created
0.4 key passes per game
1 ball recovered per game
4 big chances missed
6.94 avg. match rating
Stats via Sofascore
If Nketiah does feature from the start this afternoon, it would represent an opportunity to showcase that he can have a long-term future in north London, even if a new striker is signed next month.
Having caused problems for Fulham on numerous occasions previously, why can’t he do so again?
Subscribe To Our Newsletter!
Email Address
By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.
Robbie is a content and opinion writer who has been working in the world of football media over the past few years.
Having graduated from university in 2020, Robbie spent a couple of years working as an intern or in freelance positions across a variety of sites, including 90min and Football Faithful, before joining the team at Snack Media in Spring 2022.
After beginning life at Snack as part of the company’s academy set-up, Robbie was selected to join their flagship website, Football FanCast, as an opinion writer, before going on to rise up through the ranks to now taking on the role of Assistant Editor.
Robbie is a Manchester United fan, but also has a particular fondness for both Celtic and Wycombe Wanderers.
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