Arsenal youngsters who deserve a first-team call-up
Arsenal’s Premier League 2 team has some great young talents, and some of them could potentially make their Premier League debut soon. Even with Arsenal’s deep squad depth, and all the new players they will buy, these two young stars could still make a significant difference to the team.
Reiss Nelson
Reiss Nelson has been acquiring his minutes by playing in both the Premier League 2 and the Europa League. He won the Premier League 2 player of the month in August, scoring five goals in just three games. He has been able to display his talent in the Europa League, and it is evident that he is ready to start in the Premier League.
Although he may have to fight for his place in the first team, as the existing line-up consists of Mesut Ozil or Theo Walcott. The German magician Ozil had a subpar season last year, but this season he is showing why he deserves a spot in Arsenal’s starting line-up, getting a goal and an assist against Everton. English winger Walcott has not made a start in the Premier League yet but has been in decent form in the Europa League, scoring twice and getting one assist in just three games.
Nelson’s ability in 1v1’s, his dribbling, close control, agility, and pace make him a difficult opponent for any defender. One weakness though is his physical capabilities. He is only 17 years old and at just 5ft 8”, he could struggle with the physicality of the Premier League.
Reiss Nelson would make a good squad rotation player now, but in the future, he could be a valuable first team player. Game time is vital if Wenger wants him to be the world class player he is destined to be.
Edward Nketiah
Edward ‘Eddie’ Nketiah recently stunned football fans by scoring twice to get Arsenal the win in a close fought battle against Norwich. He scored with his first touch of the match and secured the victory by scoring again in the 96th minute. In the Premier League 2, he has bagged three goals in 6 games.
He too will have to fight for a spot in the first team. Arsenal recently splashed cash over the summer on the French superstar Alexandre Lacazette. Lacazette has made an impact on the Premier League by already scoring five goals. Wenger is unlikely to drop him from the lineup. Olivier Giroud does not start for Arsenal but is an essential super-sub as he is an excellent header and consistently scores goals in injury time. However there have been rumours of Olivier Giroud going back home to France, so potentially Nketiah could take his place on the bench.
Nketiah’s main strengths are his appetite for goals and his clinical finishing ability. A striker like him could help Arsenal in the long run. Nketiah is also a strong dribbler who could help score and set up goals. His speed is also one of his strengths. He can outrun many defenders, and this also means he could play out on the wing, not just in the central role. For an 18-year-old, Nketiah is extremely versatile and has excellent physical prowess, which is very important these days in the Premier League.
Eddie Nketiah would be a good backup player to have in the squad and possibly a starter in the future. However, like Nelson, getting game-time is vital for him.
Arsenal’s team has been in shaky form this season, but adding these players to the team could be a start to turning things around, and building a stronger team for the future.
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