Arsenal fans don’t need to be told that Eddie Nketiah is a great striker. I mean, he might be the reason they win the league. He is doing a great job at filling the void left by Gabriel Jesus – some would even argue that Jesus will have a hard time getting into the team again when he returns from injury.
However, to compare him to Europe’s best strikers is too far, even for Arsenal fans… Or is it?
Well, if you’re a numbers person, then this statistic might convince you. According to Opta, Eddie Nketiah has the greatest xG per 90 minutes of any player in Europe’s top five leagues so far this season. The rankings contain only players to have played over 500 minutes, and Nketiah is beating the likes of Erling Haaland and Robert Lewandowski.
So, can I proudly go out and say to everyone I meet that Nketiah is better than Nunez, Haaland and Lewandowski? I mean, I’d get away with the first one, obviously. However, I’d probably get punched in the face if I mention the other two names.
The thing that this stat does show, though, is that Nketiah is criminally underrated. I mean, even by his own fans, Nketiah was always thought to be a bench warmer and someone who would never make it into the big time. Well, he is proving those people wrong now and he’s doing so through sheer hard work and belief in himself. There’s a lesson we can all take from Nketiah.
What is your opinion on Nketiah? Where does he rank among strikers this season?