Arsenal will be Man City’s main title challengers this season | Football Digest
Arsenal goalscorer Eddie Nketiah has reminded Tottenham there’s still a long way to go this season in the Premier League. Spurs have started the season exceptionally under new manager Ange Postecoglou and are unbeaten after 10 games and top of the table.
Arsenal are also undefeated and are just two points behind their north London rivals, having scored more goals and conceded less. The Gunners are looking to go one better than last season after spending 248 days at the summit only for Manchester City to once again be crowned champions.
Mikel Arteta’s men cut the gap from five points to two on Saturday with a 5-0 thrashing of struggling Sheffield United. Nketiah, 24, scored a brilliant hat-trick with an eye-catching long-range strike to clinch his treble.
And after, the newly-capped England international warned Spurs that it’s a long old season – with another 28 games still to go until the climax. He said: “It’s a draining league. But we aim to be up there again. We want to be up there, to keep pushing.”
Asked about his standing within the Arsenal squad, Nketiah – who has been labelled a back-up to Gabriel Jesus – added: “I just focus on being the best player I can and improving day in, day out. I know how good I can be when I am on it, when I am working hard and my team-mates trust me and believe in me.
“That’s the most important thing for me – the rest is just noise. Sometimes you get the credit, sometimes you don’t. You just have to be consistent and keep pushing every day. I try to be in there and earn the manager’s faith so when I come in he can trust me.
“It is just about good habits, improving every day, pushing yourself, in front of goal, back to goal, movements, pressing, and giving everything for the team. The more I am playing, the more I am learning – when things go wrong or go right – and making sure the next time I correct any mistakes.
“It is good to be playing regularly and I am improving with more game time. Whatever role I am given, whether it is five minutes, two minutes, 10 minutes, I just want to help the team and my main focus is to contribute and try to get the win.
“I’m a childhood supporter of the club, so to score a hat-trick in front of the fans, my friends, my family and my team-mates is an amazing feeling. It’s a day I’ll remember forever.”
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Nketiah could even have ended the day with a rare four-goal haul but allowed Fabio Vieira to take the late penalty that the Portuguese attacker won himself. The centre-forward added: “I was going to take it – I wanted to take it. I always want to get more goals.
“But Fabio came to me and said he wanted to take it. He won the penalty as well. He’s expecting a little one and it was a really good moment for him to get on the scoresheet and dedicate it. I’m a team player.
“I’d scored a hat-trick so I could allow other players to get in on the act. He took the penalty and scored, so we’re happy.” Arsenal face several tough tests over the next 10 days with a match away at West Ham in the Carabao Cup followed by a Premier League trip to Newcastle and the Champions League visit of Sevilla to the Emirates.
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