Hat-trick hero Eddie Nketiah makes case for more starting opportunities at Arsenal

There’s room for improvement in Arsenal's squad depth, but one department that seems to be fine for now is the striker role, which is being competed for by Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah.

The Brazilian forward has been Mikel Arteta’s preferred first-choice since arriving from Manchester City a year ago, but he has been unlucky with injuries.

That has left Arsenal needing to rely on Nektiah a lot of times. Last season, the 24-year-old stepped in when Jesus was unavailable and won them many points at a crucial stage of the campaign.

Nketiah certainly had no problem stepping in and delivering yet another masterful performance when he was handed a rare start against Sheffield United in the Premier League on Saturday.

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Nketiah grabs hat-trick against Sheffield United

The England striker was the star of the show as Arsenal made light work of the Blades en route an emphatic 5-0 win at the Emirates.

Not only was his overall output great, but Nketiah also closed the game with a sensational hat-trick. He showed great awareness for his first and was at the right place at the right time for his second before capping it off with a beautiful long-range effort in the second half.

The most impressive thing about the Chelsea academy graduate is that he’s all about getting the job done. It doesn’t matter he starts or comes on in the final 10 minutes. He puts in the hard work and looks to give his all to the team.

Saturday’s performance saw Nketiah grab his first hat-trick in the Premier League, but it was also a timely reminder of his talent and what he can do when given the opportunity.

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Nketiah makes case for more starts

In Arteta’s eyes, Jesus will always be ahead of Nketiah in the pecking order, but the latter continues to prove why he also deserves an extended run.

Nketiah has been involved in 14 games across competitions this season, but a lot of them have come from the bench. He has also scored five goals – one more than Jesus – and Arsenal must make use of Nketiah more.

“I’m really happy for him (Nketiah). Three very different goals that required a lot of quality and composure,” Arteta said of the young striker, as quoted by Arsenal.com. He had a few weeks where he hasn’t scored a goal and today he had an opportunity, with a great performance and three beautiful goals.

“He’s always there. He’s always available, always willing to improve and give his best for the team. He’s playing a lot. He’s started eight games in the Premier League this season. That’s a lot. Yhat tells you the level of trust that we have towards him.”

Nketiah has been knocking on the doors for regular football and is making a case for more starting opportunities at Arsenal. He’s right to demand more playing time after his imperious performance against Sheffield.