Monday, December 23, 2024

Nketiah: I’ve worked hard on my physicality

You might have seen images this week of 2019 Eddie Nketiah alongside 2022 Eddie Nketiah (view here on Instagram).

The striker’s physique has changed considerably, he’s built muscle and looks stronger than he did. In some ways that’s to be expected as a person matures physically out of their teenage years, but it’s also the consequence of a lot of hard work, and something the 23 old paid a lot of attention to.

Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the North London derby, he revealed it was a deliberate plan to help him deal with the physicality of the Premier League.

“It’s something I’ve really worked on over the last couple of years, mostly in the dark but it’s come to light now,” he said.

“The robustness of the Premier League is really high. You’re always playing against big, physically strong centre-backs, so, for me, I felt like, coming through, the difference between the U23s or the U18s, was that physicality.

“Being able to have the frame to do the things I was doing at youth level – taking the ball, holding the ball, turning – you need that level of competitiveness in terms of strength.

“Adding that has allowed me to show more sides to my game. I can still get bigger. I’m only 23 and that will come naturally as well. But it’s something I’ve consciously worked on and it’s paying dividends at the moment.”

With four goals in four starts since he came in to replace the injured Gabriel Jesus, Eddie is eyeing a goal against the old enemy at White Hart Lane, but first and foremost he’s determined to help the team take all three points away for the first time since 2014.

“It’s Tottenham, we’ve got to win,” he said. “That’s always the mentality. All the boys are fired up. They know what we need to do, they know how important the game is and how much it means to the fans.

“”Of course, I’m going to give everything for myself, for the fans, for my family, to get those three points.

“If I can score as well, that would be an amazing feeling.”

Check out the North London derby preview podcast over on Patreon.

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AlexNuggz

Hoping to hear the iconic “Eddie, Eddie, Eddie!” chant ringing around the stadium as he completes his 12 minute Hattrick in the second half tomorrow! COYG

PeteyB

Would it be OK if he did it in the first half? In fact, Eddie completing his hat-trick in the 12th minute would suit me just fine!

Luckylee

This my friend is the comment of d day…I really won’t mind as u said….just to ease viewing…lol

Santi’s Thigh Grab

Love to see Eddie get one in the first minutes of the game and put those diving fuckers on the back foot. COYG.

Goonertic

Yep, we are playing at the Tom Daley stadium so we should be very aware of the quality of diving that will be on show.

karl

Multiple City players surrounding the referee after United draw level. Will there be a charge?

Eric Blair

Their punishment is a second goal against. Big opportunity for us, 8 points ahead with another difficult fixture out of the way would be incredible. There will probably never be a better chance to win the league than from there.

Let’s mash the spuds!

Boy Bastin

Three points would be great obviously but recent form there suggests it may be more like one, although you never know. It could be a quick opportunity to make amends for the dropped points against Newcastle.

Qwaliteee

“But” this, “but” that.

”Make amends” for “dropped points”…? We were cheated out of at least one penalty.

Your buts and general negativity on here are getting boring pal. Ever thought of getting a job at TalkSport?

We all KNOW what the fucking negative consequences are; we’re constantly having them shoved down our throats by the media – never mind you as well.

karl

Agreed. Many teams had a bad start this year and that opportunity might not come around again.

Lee

Dont think this is about other teams having bad starts… we’ve dropped 9 points in total! 9!… Even in recent years, this would have us top or 2nd. This year is about our boys’ acheivements, not other’s failures

Lee

7??? Morning maths!!!

truj

A must win. The team is much better than the spuds and mentally strong. It is in our hands.

Qwaliteee

Yep.

Will there fuck.

Y3mmxiii

I’ve seen that too, I’m waiting for FA to make an announcement. And so as Man United were wagging their fingers after the controversial goal. Let’s what happens FA.

Boy Bastin

Good lad. With Utd beating City, there’s an opportunity tomorrow to stretch our lead at the top and Eddie may play a big part in doing that.

Qwaliteee

That’s better! 👏😉

Paul Z

I swear, if we lost, Kane would score from a dubious penalty and we will have a man sent off!

karl

Eddie has more medals than Kane, who has Spurs’d it up for over a decade!

Eric Blair

How many players don’t have more medals than Kane? None have fewer, that’s for sure.

truj

Kane is obviously the 2nd best footballer of the Universe.

Emi Rates

With the least closed mouth of all time. Not even Maradona’s big gob was open as much as Kane’s and he still lived to be 60.

Reuben Nswana

Nketiah has to show his claim.He needs to work harder has to my own observation he fails to deliver wen it gets harder.

Chilu

I am not convinced with his abilities and suitability especially in big games

RockyRog58

But funnily enough the Boss and the players think otherwise !

McLean Liyali

Arsenal is aiming at winning every game, I am happy that they are beating every team.

Leon

First time I have ever seen Arsenal win the Manchester derby 🙂

Heavenly Chapecoense

I preferred a draw.

Qwaliteee

Shows you have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.

Anyone beating City is better than City getting a draw.

djourou's nutmeg

cant you find a way of expressing your opinion without disrespecting someone else’s? we’re all grown ups here, act like one

Fatgooner

If Nketia wants to become an Arsenal legend then SCORE THE WINNER AGAINST SPUDS TOMORROW!!

This is now a fantastic opportunity to win the title: we must take it. It’s so frustrating that we haven’t done any business yet in the transfer market: we need two or three players to get us over the line. Even if Mudryk comes in we still need that central midfielder and possibly an out-and-out striker. LET’S GET THEM!!!

THE TITLE IS THERE TO BE WON: LET’S NOT BLOW IT!

Qwaliteee

With you all the way Fats. 👏👍🍺🍺

Fatgooner

And BTW: Leandro Trossard has fallen out big-time with the manager at Brighton and gone back home to Belgium.

LET’S GO AND GET HIM!!!

Teryima Adi

Fatgooner is now Edu’s PA.😀

Qwaliteee

If Chelsea don’t get him first……🙄

NorthernGooner

I would also really like to see some new signings, last week would’ve been even better, but who would you realistically get during this window who,

A) Would not break our transfer record
B) Would not break our wage structure
C) Provide both and instant and long term positive addition to the team

Personally, I cant think of anyone, not even Mudryk to be honest. He’s a gamble which will hopefully pay off, unlike Pepe.

Mikels Arteta

If shaktar knock back the last way bud, we should walk away

Mitoma looks the goods at Brighton

Sammy Nelsons Arse

We should get Tomi to have a word with him would be a great buy

Teryima Adi

Mitoma is the real deal.

PeteyB

The numbers I’m seeing quoted for Thuram seem way more sensible than 80M for Mudryk. I really hope he proves worth it. I’m not comparing the 2 as such (different positions) but similar age, Thuram has more experience, but (relatively) cheap due to contract situation

Eric Blair

Agreed, Mudders is becoming something of a would goose chase at this point. At the money being quoted he will be expected to hit the ground running and immediately add something to the team. I can’t deny having some doubts about it. Let’s see.

Boy Bastin

The latest report suggests that if we do get him, he’ll cost some £80 million all in. If true, Shakhtar appear to have got what they wanted basically. He is a good player but only time will tell if he’s worth anything like that kind of money playing in the PL – and that’s the key here. I think he’ll probably be a success, but who really knows? It’s the same with any transfer – Arsenal have had great ones (we all know who they are) and very poor ones as well (for example, we’re still paying fee instalments for… Read more »

NorthernGooner

I’ve just read a tweet from Fabrizio Romano saying Mudryk is flying in to London to negotiate personal terms after Shaktar agreed 100 million Euros with Chelsea!

If true im not sure I should be pissed off or laughing my head off

Qwaliteee

How about both.

At how woefully inept and naive our transfer dealings STILL are.

When it comes to the big deals, we never ever learn.

Deano

I’m pissed off, but only because Chavski seem to be immune to FFP regulations.

Brady’s bunch

Why would a Ukrainian lad want to go to those f**kers 🤬🤬

Deano

I think the Ukrainian club seem to have no scruples

Heavenly Chapecoense

Martinelli and Saka are top top top wingers. They just need to score few more goals. Hope Smith-Rowe can recover his form. With that we will still be superior to Chelsea.

Karl

id swap any of them for mudryk yesterday if i could. just wait and see. next year chelsea will be far ahead of us.

Heavenly Chapecoense

Jeez, what has Mudryk already achieved? Is this part of idealizing everyone or everything related to Ukraine in support of the war against nasty dictator Putin? I am saying this because Ukraine won Eurovision as a symbol and refugees are being sent to Rwanda to make place for Ukrainians.

Karl

A standing ovation in madrid for example. He has speed, end product and skill out of thís world. I see a young ronaldo when i watch him play. You dont rate him at all and think our players are all better than him? thats bs

Eric Blair

If that’s true I believe we have well and truly dodged a bullet there.

Russ

Thinking the same… Is this lad really right for our team?

Chilu M

You should be pissed because we are short upfront and are time wasters in the transfer market. Shak tar realized that we are jokers. Probably Edu and company wanted to show fans that they are doing something when in fact not.

Qwaliteee

You’ve got your wish: Mudryk has gone to Chelsea.

Karl

hes worth every single penny and would have given us a chance at the title. now we are left with nothing and thats it.

Karl

I wouldn’t get so depressed. He was meant for backup to the three behind the striker, at least for this season and the price would have compromised what we could do in the summer.

all his comments about Arsenal were disingenuous if a big cheque changed his mind, so I’d prefer any player that actually wants to play for Arsenal.

Karl

Of couse im depressed. Thats what football gives me. Id like to give you something to relate too. I once liked a girl very much. I wished for her to chose me but in the end she didnt and chose another over me. Since then a lot of girls have liked me but it doesnt mean i like them back. I want beauty and quality, someone i can love back and be proud of. Someone who others would also want and be jealous of me for. If i had chosen any of those, sure they would have loved me and… Read more »

Karl

This is confusing. Maybe it’s time I changed my forum name😀

Emi Rates

You probably should. Don’t get mixed up with the other one who is a complete cunt.

I dub you The Real Karl.

Karl

well, i think the same way about you. 😀 thats ok?

Karl

nah not really, i guess im the only one who speaks his mind without trying to make the reality brighter than it is. and that makes ppl angry. thats the way the world works and thats why people are the only species on earth creating a habitat wehre they cant possibly be happy.

Beef

“Someone who others would want and be jealous of for me”

Yikes. Sounds like this girl dodged a bullet. Let’s hope Arsenal have, too.

Karl

based on my anger that chelsea just hijacked our deal for mudryk whil we are going to spurs with just eddie up front. doesnt make sence. besides, its not a real life situation. And wouldnt every guy want that? do you want ppl to laught at your woman or do you want other to think that ur a lucky guy 😀 of couse i want ppl to envy me as i want man u fans and spurs fans to be jealous of arsenals success. im i wrong?

Qwaliteee

You’ve got your wish: Mudryk has gone to Chelsea.

Karl

yeah sure. Mudryk will become world class and we failed to get him. Im more disapointed in aresenal than i have ever been.

Emi Rates

By all means move on to Chelsea then. That’s where your “world class” player resides now.

Karl

No, i would never ever support another team but i feel so let down over and over.I actually feel like stop following football. I cant lie about how i feel. its arsenal or nothing.

Emi Rates

Enough of your crybaby shit.

Karl

yeah. thats probably up to you to decide. at least im honest. I guess you are happy with how arsenal are doing in the transfer market. good for you. i hope you enjoy it.

Karl

Just relax. He’s joined a mid table chaotic team 19 points behind us and we even have a game in hand.

Karl

of couse he did. im not worried about chelsea winning anything this year. we needed him and now we will end up with nothing. last minute panic loans or deals doesnt count. and next year chelsea will be much stronger. not excatly what i was happy about earlier today. its shit. i cant belive how everyone sticks their head in the sand. we should have done this deal a week ago and now we are playing spurs with eddie as lone striker again. it will surely work out fine…..

Russ

Maybe get out a bit more mate?

RockyRog58

What’s the point Russ ? We’re all gonna die and it’ll happen midwinter at Stoke on a Wednesday right after Eddie’s missed 6 penalties and got sent off for farting in the box !!

Danny

We’re top of the league you weirdo

Karl

There is no joined up thinking about Chelsea. I’m pretty sure Potter has no idea they signed him!

Qwaliteee

City beaten; fucking great.

Let’s smash this tomorrow boys and go 8 points clear.

COYG

Man Manny

3 points tomorrow and we are 8 points clear! No better motivation than that, guys.
Come On You Gunners!!!

PeteyB

“… No better motivation than that” How about “its Tottenham”?

Jasonissimo

I have to be honest, the “before” picture is a classic of the genre, with bad lighting making it hard to see detail. I can’t really see the improvement on this evidence. I’ll take his word for it, but this seems more like marketing hype by the company he trained with than facts.
A nothing burger that gives a chance to get some quotes from the lad. Happy to hear his thoughts.

IgorStepanoooo

I’ve got an itching feeling it’s another Xhaka goal to win it tomorrow. I’m thinking a deflected thunderbolt from 25 yards, off Kane’s arse cheek, sending Lloris flying the wrong way. GOYG

Qwaliteee

Mudryk has just joined Chelsea according to David Ornstein.

Done deal.

All that fucking about quibbling over fucking incentive percentages and we leave ourselves wide open to getting shafted.

Fucking pathetic. 🤬

Chippy

Mudryk gone to the chavs. Do we think we’ll get any deal over the line? I have doubts

Qwaliteee

Pathetic.

I hope the penny pinchers on here are satisfied now.

NorthernGooner

Looks that way….100 million is way too big a gamble for an unproven player, even more so after having our fingers burned with Pepe.

As an aside, how comes no club has complained about chelsea’s £1.5 Billion “loan” from abramovich which was written off when he sold the club….how does that not break FFP rules???

Emi Rates

How about the FA fining Chelsea for their fans continuing to chant the name of their former oligarch owner with links to the current genocide in Ukraine?

jeff

Or about Newcastle’s owners engaging in genocide in Yeman.

Brady’s bunch

Chelsea are all over the place

Eric Blair

They’re like an angry drunk in a bar trying to pick a fight with anyone but can’t focus on any one person because they can’t see straight. In the end they pick a fight with their reflection in the mirror. They look like a club devouring themselves and any player heading there now (and a Ukrainian for God’s sake!) is not a player I’d risk blowing all our money on.

Emi Rates

Seriously, fuck Mudryk and his money hunger. If the genocide of his own people isn’t enough to convince him not to go to Chelsea then he’s obviously a complete cunt and so morally barren there is no redeeming him. He certainly has no business being at our club. I wish him a rotten fucking career from here until the day he retires.

Brady’s bunch

Auba to arsenal 🙈🙈🤬🤬

Ret

Or Welbeck. 😀

Leon

I don’t know how true this is but apparently Chelsea have agreed a fee with Donetsk – whether the player wants to go there of course is another story, especially after flirting with a move to Arsenal.
We need reinforcements and with just 16 days left time is wasting…

Emi Rates

The deal wouldn’t go through if Mudryk didn’t want to be at Chelsea. Clearly he doesn’t mind playing for a club with links to the genocide happening in his country. If his morals don’t stretch further than that then maybe we’re better off without someone like him at our club.

If we have other targets, let’s secure them. COYG!

Eric Blair

Absolutely agree with this.

It’s not to say he could never be a fantastic player in England, but that kind of money on that kind of personality is not what this squad needs right now.

Having said that, we really do need reinforcements!

Karl

yeah, lets. as long as noone else wants them im sure it will be fine. there must be somone on the bench somewhere we can get on the cheap in the last 10 minutes of the window or something like that.

Brady’s bunch

The money involved is crazy for a player who’s scored 50odd games

Brady’s bunch

Played

Leon

I agree – but we really need reinforcements, and we are running out of time and Edu is not exactly quick in doing his job of negotiating.

Brady’s bunch

To be fair I think the club are diligent in their dealings not slow, we don’t have the same money to throw away so we need be right in what we do.

karl

Edu has done a great job in the last couple of years. It just seems that Chelsea are immune to FFP and are chucking money at anything.

Tomaury Bischfeld

90m pounds for a player on the basis of a good season in a minor league. He may have a lot of potential but that’s silly money and after Pepe, I’d hope we weren’t into doing that kind of thing any more. I mean he isn’t even necessarily an upgrade on Martinelli or Saka, he wasn’t urgently needed. Surely we need cover in the midfield – we can’t fall short this season because we’re relying on Elneny (bless him) or Lokonga. Surely also some kind of striking option in case Jesus is out in the wilderness for longer than 40days… Read more »

Eric Blair

Yes, CF and midfield are crucial areas for investment. Let’s see what Edu do.

Karl

yeah. im over the moon to see what hes up to this time. really……

Leon

Not a lot I suspect..

karl

A seven and a half year contract under the current ownership could be difficult.

There will always be more players that want to join the Arsenal, especially 19 points ahead of Chelsea with a game in hand:-)

Karl

of course. there is a lot of girls who would love to date me but it doesnt mean i like them back.

Emi Rates

Obviously you’re such a catch.

Karl

maybe, thats not up to me to decide. but strange as it seems, that seems to be the case. cant explain why though.

Bleeding Gums Murphy

Maybe you lack substance, depth, perspective, over react, are fearful of commitment and prone to self pity and so attract other lost souls. Birds of a feather flock together. Food for thought my friend. It’s always worth trying to explain rather that “I can’t explain”

Xanat

Such a great comment – lift my day up by a mile!

Karl

Well. Not really. Thats not the case.

Bleeding Gums Murphy

Only playing really. Delighted to have you as a fella gooner. COYG.

Qwaliteee

Mate, it’s a done deal.

Vlahovic, Raphinha, Lisandro Martinez, Douglas Luiz all lost due to us dithering and penny pinching – and now Mudryk.

It’ll be Marcus Thuram and Declan Rice next.

Yes, we are top of the table (for now) but we are shit in the transfer market and we never ever fucking learn.

Eric Blair

If we’re top of the table, what does it matter which players we didn’t quite manage to sign?

Chilu M

You won’t last on top of that table because you have no depth

Qwaliteee

Save your breath mate.

There’s no reasoning with some people on here about being competitive.

They don’t look upon Arsenal as a modern football club having to operate in an inflated market.

They think we’re some sort of fucking Socialist Republic whose sole mission is to exercise thriftiness, at no extra cost.

When summer comes and the big pots get handed out to other clubs yet again, they console themselves with how their club ‘Doesn’t spend silly money” like some puritanical badge of honour.

It’s every bit as futile as it is sad and more than a little pathetic.

Qwaliteee

Because, in case you hadn’t noticed, we’re only half way through the season and if Saka or Martinelli or Eddie pick up a long term injury, then we are fucked and our status at the top will be in jeopardy.

Some of you on here can’t see any further than your fingerless mittens and your balance sheets.

Chilu M

Well said

Mudryk to Chelsea looks to be confirmed now.

So they’ve hijacked our Plan A and Plan B (Felix).

Outrageous. I’m absolutely fuming.

Who knows what Plan C is. No point going for Pedro Neto now, he’s been injured for months.

Marcus Thuram is probably available as he only has a few months left on his contract. Seems like Memphis Depay is available but I’d certainly only want him if it’s a loan.

Qwaliteee

And here we are, yet again, scraping the barrel in a desperate trolley dash.

Pathetic.

All I can say is we’d better win this fucking game at the shit hole tomorrow.

Karl

If thats the plan C, no thx. No thx to both of them. I wouldnt want anyone of them near our team.

Der32

Throw money to AC Milan for Rafael Leao. They’re almost out of the title race in Serie A as well after drawing Lecce last night.

Rocastle07

I’m so fed up with transfers. I’m just fully focused on the 3 points up for grabs tomorrow.
FA charges loosing out on transfers, Arteta will get our boys 100% on it tomorrow.

Karl

Im fed up too. As usual when i never end up with what i wish for.

jeff

You’re like a whining little child. Try not to be so entitled mate.

Eric Blair

Wipe your eyes mate, have a look at the table.

Karl

sure. im not so sure we will have the same laught after the next three games.

Karl

Supporting Arsenal since like 18 years ago has for me been a lot of “ifs” and “going to” and has left me with nothing but dissapointment and sad feelings and sometimes embarrasment. Today is a day like that. Again. Ive gone about to tell my friends that Mudryk will come, believing the hype and all the media so much that i though it was a done deal. Now they will just laught at me for being optimistic about something that wasnt certain to happen. Again. I have to be honest. Im feeling sad and let down. We needed signings and… Read more »

Emi Rates

Crybaby.

Karl

no emi. no. you are.

Eric Blair

Karl, I know how things can come across wrong on the Internet, but I’m going to, in all sincerity, advise you to look at why you attach so much of your self-worth in a football club, and especially the transfer of a player. Good luck.

Bleeding Gums Murphy

Try not to catastrophise. It’s not a good character trait and will consistently leave you feeling let down, disappointed, overwhelmed and sad. A wise man or woman or they or them or she/her or he/him, oh ffs I’ve lost the will to live 😂🤣

Nainsley Aitland Miles

Well you started supporting Arsenal during – or just after – our Invincibles run, so it was only ever going to go downhill from there.

Walleye

I have long wondered why players don’t target more strength. Yes, they get stronger through training and maturity, butEddie looks like a guy who said, I want to be a lot stronger. His play reflects it. Good man.

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