Nketiah issues statement of intent after saving the day against strugglers Fulham

Eddie Nketiah

Eddie Nketiah issues statement of intent after saving the day against strugglers Fulham

By Will Jennings

Super-sub Eddie Nketiah reckons it’s his time to shine after stepping in for Alexandre Lacazette and rescuing Arsenal a dramatic late point at home to Fulham.

Lacazette limped off with a hamstring injury with 20 minutes remaining and replacement Nketiah seized his opportunity with a vital 97th-minute leveller.

Josh Maja’s penalty had given struggling Fulham the lead at The Emirates but Nketiah, 21, struck at the death to move the Gunners a point ahead of Leeds in the Premier League table.

And the beaming academy graduate, who enjoyed a loan spell at Elland Road last season, said: “I stay patient and I'm happy to get the chance to play.

“I will be ready to help the team if I'm called upon. I wish Laca a speedy recovery - he's important to the team and hopefully will be back as soon as possible.

“I’m happy with the team, we would've liked three points but when I was called on I wanted to make an impact. I'm delighted to get a goal and salvage a point for the team.

"Fulham made it difficult - we were a bit sloppy in possession, we had good chances, we had a couple which on another day might go in. 

“Credit to Fulham for getting back in the game and getting the goal, but we were good in the last 30 minutes and we deserved at least a point.

"We're a big club, and we want to be climbing up the table - the manner in which we grabbed the goal feels a bit better than losing. Of course we wanted three points but we'll take the point and move on."

Mikel Arteta


Arsenal could be facing the grim prospect of no European football next season but Nketiah’s late intervention gave boss Mikel Arteta something to cheer.

Things looked to be going pear-shaped once again when Gabriel fouled Mario Lemina in the box to give Scott Parker’s relegation-threatened team a penalty.

And when Maja converted with just half an hour left to play, Gunners fans were staring a seventh home league defeat of the season in the face.

Things then got worse when Lacazette was removed on 70 minutes but Arsenal continued to knock on the Fulham door as they chased a vital equaliser.

And it was substitute Nketiah who saved the day, reacting quickest to Dani Ceballos’ parried shot to haul Arteta’s team up to 49 points in the table.

The Arsenal boss says the severity of the French striker’s injury remains unclear and thinks his team deserved more from the contest.

The Spaniard, 39, said: "We started really well, controlling the game and creating chances, scoring a goal that was disallowed.

“We kept going and didn't allow any shots on target and suddenly we concede a penalty and the game changes completely.

"We took risks in the right way, we could have scored three or four, we totally deserved to win the match but put ourselves in a difficult position.

"We have to just focus on the boys playing away in Europe and arriving here with the desire to go all the way to the 97th, 98th minute.”

On Lacazette’s injury, Arteta added: "He felt his hamstring so we don't know. We have to rotate players, we have players who didn't recover from the game [against Slavia Prague] on Thursday. That is the risk. You cannot change those players every game.

"We had 16 shots, probably not enough on target, goals disallowed, a post, that is the difference, you have to win this game."

Photo Credit: Getty Images

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