Burnley 0-5 Arsenal. Player rating and match Reaction

[Mac76]

Makes some sense I guess. At it's most basic giving Nketiah a new contract gave us an option up front without having the transfer outlay, while preserving a home grown asset for future purchases (important in the current financial rules climate). I think at the time there were more pressing requirements elsewhere on the pitch.

Yes I think that was it

[KSE Comedy Club]

correct re Eddie

I still think Nelson need more minutes to reach a degree of consistency, instead of waiting for 4 or 5 nil Arteta needs to give him a chance sooner in games

ESR has actually looked very good when he's appeared this season but it's his fitness that's the concern

Agree with all of that.

I do think Nelson will be fine, but ESR does need some games to get going again.

[KSE Comedy Club]

What intrigues me is that - having shown that he is adept at developing our team - Arteta decided to offer Nketiah a big new contract. Was this simply a pragmatic decision at the time, or a mistaken belief that the player would be more adaptable? For me the irony is that Eddie's strength was as a poacher - and we were until recently pining for a penalty box finisher. Has the manager now shown that his team has evolved beyond this, and is the system the reason for Nketiah's fading star?

Yes there is the potential for that to be the case, but I would say that a proper, hungry striker would find a way to adapt to any system and still find a way to be a threat.
Eddie just doesn't do that.

I genuinely thought the Burnley game would let him fill his boots, but he had one shot (directly at the keeper) and then most of the time he wasn't in the box when he should have been.
He's just not good enough.

We should have kept that other lad instead, imo.

[IBK]

Yes there is the potential for that to be the case, but I would say that a proper, hungry striker would find a way to adapt to any system and still find a way to be a threat.
Eddie just doesn't do that.

I genuinely thought the Burnley game would let him fill his boots, but he had one shot (directly at the keeper) and then most of the time he wasn't in the box when he should have been.
He's just not good enough.

We should have kept that other lad instead, imo.

...although Balogun is hardly setting his second season in France on fire, and ultimately I can see the thinking in keeping the player who had shown he could perform in the Premiership.

Nketiah's cameos recently have been underwhelming, but so have Jesus' in terms of goals (Eddie has scored 1 more than him, and the same as Martinelli in this seasons EPL). I suspect that (as happened until recently with all our forwards) he needs confidence, and starts, to realise his potential. Yes, I think that we are moving past Eddie - and Trossard has to be regarded as our back up striker now (and possibly Havertz - albeit that he doesn't seem to have a fixed position at all) - but his goalscoring remains comparatively competetive if you ignore Saka.

[Marc Overmars]

Trouble with Eddie is that he struggles to make an impact from the bench, so he’s never really giving Arteta too much to think about. As a starter he’s delivered in dribs and drabs but I can’t for the life of me see a long term future for him here unless he’s just happy to be a bit-part player. I don’t think his all round game is particularly great either, which is why even a misfiring Jesus remains a better option because of his ability to make things happen around him.

I would personally move Eddie, ESR and Nelson on this summer but I guess that’s easier said than done because I’m sure a big factor in them still being Arsenal players is because they tick the home grown box.

[Mac76]

Trouble with Eddie is that he struggles to make an impact from the bench, so he’s never really giving Arteta too much to think about. As a starter he’s delivered in dribs and drabs but I can’t for the life of me see a long term future for him here unless he’s just happy to be a bit-part player. I don’t think his all round game is particularly great either, which is why even a misfiring Jesus remains a better option because of his ability to make things happen around him.

I would personally move Eddie, ESR and Nelson on this summer but I guess that’s easier said than done because I’m sure a big factor in them still being Arsenal players is because they tick the home grown box.

Agree on Eddie and reluctantly I agree with mocing those players on - ESR's too injury prone, Eddie isn't good enough and while I'm a big fan of Nelson he deserves to be a regular starter somewhere