Mikel Arteta has lauded Eddie Nketiah for seizing his opportunity in the starting lineup, helping the Gunners secure a 2-1 opening day victory against Nottingham Forest.

The young striker’s passion and commitment have been held up as a shining example of the attitude required throughout the Arsenal squad this season.

• Mikel Arteta heaps praise on Eddie Nketiah for his determination and impact in Arsenal’s victory over Nottingham Forest.
• Arsenal begins the 2023/24 season with a 2-1 win, with goals from Eddie Nketiah and Bukayo Saka, but a late strike from Taiwo Awoniyi adds tension to the match.
• Arteta emphasises the importance of a strong start to the season and highlights the need to be more clinical in finishing games.

Arteta’s admiration for Nketiah’s approach

Mikel Arteta couldn’t hide his admiration for striker Eddie Nketiah after his performance against Nottingham Forest.

Scoring the first goal of the campaign, Nketiah’s attitude on and off the pitch has set a standard for the rest of the Arsenal players.

“Eddie sums up what we want this season in terms of the squad,” Arteta said. “He was really disappointed not to start against Manchester City in the absence of Gabby, but he had an incredible impact in the game against City and he trained this week like a beast.”

Arteta went on to explain how Nketiah’s commitment serves as an example for others in the squad, “A lot of players ask: ‘why am I not playing?’, and the thing is that Eddie is telling you: ‘look at all the reasons I’m giving you to play me’.

“When you play him, after you know you’re going to have that response because he’s not looking for excuses or anything, he’s looking at his own performance and what he can do for the team. This is the example that everyone has to look at.”

An exciting start to the season

The match at Emirates Stadium began Arsenal’s season on a positive note. Following Nketiah’s opening strike, a spectacular goal from Bukayo Saka doubled the lead, putting Arsenal in control.

However, a late goal from Taiwo Awoniyi made the final minutes more nerve-wracking than necessary. Despite the tension, Arteta was pleased with how the team managed the game.

“It’s always very difficult to win the first game, there’s something special with it,” he added. “You want to start well and we’ve done it, and I think we’ve done it in a really convincing way.”

Looking forward and building momentum

Despite the positive start, Arteta was quick to identify areas for improvement, particularly the team’s ability to kill off games.

“We were super dominant and created quite a lot of chances and we didn’t give them anything,” he observed. “We found two ways to score, and after that, we should have killed the game earlier so we don’t give any hope to the opponent, and that’s the next step.”

With the season now underway, Arsenal will look to build on this win, taking lessons from the match as they strive to push forward.