5 young Arsenal players that will excel in 2019
By Kian Long
4. Eddie Nketiah (19 years old)
The Arsenal fans have already seen a glimpse of how impressive Nketiah can be. Coming off the bench against Norwich in 2017, he scored within his first touch. He also scored in extra time to secure the win for his side. However, he didn’t pick up the chances he would have liked after that under Arsene Wenger.
It’s a new era under Emery, though. Nketiah has been making plenty of appearances in the Europa League this season, and he even came off the bench against Spurs towards the end of December. He is yet to score for Arsenal this season, but 2019 will bring a few goals for Nketiah. He certainly has goals in him, being the academy’s main source over the last few seasons.
Nketiah is a versatile forward, which will serve him well under Emery. The Spaniard likes to switch his system around a lot, so having a player who can play a number of different roles will only come as a positive asset.
His strengths definitely revolve around his movement. He has the intelligence to know when to make the runs and the speed to outsmart his opponent in the process. He just needs to work on his composure in front of goal and he will be the ideal forward.
With Danny Welbeck’s long injury and his contract running out at the end of the season, there has never been a better time for Nketiah to prove his worth. He will find it hard to get in the first team ahead of Aubameyang and Lacazette, but he could be the ideal backup.