“At the moment he is going through a lull” - Teddy Sheringham labels Arsenal star as biggest flop of the season
Former Manchester United star Teddy Sheringham has labelled Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah as the season's flop so far.
The England international has enjoyed nine Premier League starts this season due to Gabriel Jesus' injuries. From his 15 appearances overall, Nketiah has netted five times and assisted twice.
According to Sheringham, the 24-year-old attacker has not done enough to nail down a spot in Mikel Arteta's XI. Following the Brazilian striker's return, Nketiah has failed to start any of the Gunners' last four league fixtures.
Addressing the academy product's performances this season, Sheringham said (via TeamTalk):
"Eddie Nketiah at Arsenal has been disappointing this season. I think he’s got something about him, I really do. When you don’t get your goals, it can have an effect on your confidence, which I think has happened."
However, Sheringham believes that Nketiah can turn his fortunes around. He added:
“He is still a very young lad, but I think he is a natural talent, and he will come good for Arsenal. If you’re talented and you have the right desire and the right people around you, telling you the right things, then you come back."
“At the moment he is going through a lull. He’s in a good place, learning from Arteta and he can watch Jesus and learn more about becoming a complete centre forward and hold-up play."
Since coming up the ranks, the striker has made 153 appearances for the north Londoners across all competitions, bagging 38 goals and eight assists. He's unlikely to be named in Arteta's XI when the Gunners host Brighton at the Emirates on Sunday (December 17).
How has Gabriel Jesus fared this season for Arsenal?
Arsenal's first-choice striker, Gabriel Jesus, has endured his fair share of injury problems. He's missed the 10 games after picking up a knee injury during the start of the season and a hamstring problem that saw him sidelined across October and November.
In the 2023/24 campaign, the 26-year-old striker has scored six goals and bagged three assists from 17 appearances across all competitions. However, there are everlasting doubts over whether Jesus can remain fit for the rest of the season.
Following his reported £45 million arrival at the Emirates from Manchester City in the summer of 2022, Jesus missed 17 games in the 2022/23 season owing to fitness concerns.
Amid these worries, the Gunners have been linked with a move for strikers in January, including the likes of Ivan Toney and Victor Osimhen (via Football London).