De Bruyne advises Arteta to bench Arsenal’s weakest player, even worse than Jorginho and Havertz, as Man City could dominate them if he starts in two weeks at the Emirates.
Kevin De Bruyne, under the tutelage of Mikel Arteta, suggests that the Arsenal manager should pay attention to Eddie Nketiah’s performance after Arsenal’s draw against Tottenham Hotspur.
While the team’s overall performance was lacking, Nketiah failed to convince anyone that he should start in such a crucial match, especially in Gabriel Jesus’ absence due to injury.
Ivan Toney is a clear alternative and a reported target for Arsenal, potentially offering a significant upgrade over Nketiah.
Aaron Ramsdale being on the bench is evidence that Arteta is willing to replace fan favorites, implying Nketiah could be left behind to further Arsenal’s ambitions.
To compete with Manchester City and achieve top-tier status, Arsenal must prioritize performance over sentiment, and Nketiah may not have a prominent role in that vision.
Although Nketiah, earning £100k a week, is a skilled player and part of the England squad, he has shown some limitations at the highest level.
Arteta must now elevate the strikeforce by improving upon Nketiah, potentially favoring a combination of Toney and Jesus.
While this would reduce Nketiah’s playing time, it does not necessarily mandate his departure from the team.
Though singling out Nketiah might seem unfair given the overall team struggles, this issue has persisted for a considerable time.
Nketiah is capable of scoring goals for Arsenal at this level, but Arteta frequently finds him unreliable in crucial matches.
Acquiring Toney would be a significant enhancement for Arsenal if they aspire to contend for titles, prompting potential action in the transfer market, possibly as early as January, considering the rumors surrounding Toney’s future.
