We look at Arsenal loanee Eddie Nketiah's early impact at Leeds United

Eddie Nketiah: How important will Arsenal man be for Leeds United following two goals in first two games of loan spell?

By Tom Carnduff

Football

Thu August 22, 2019 · 5y ago

Eddie Nketiah has started life at Leeds in the best possible fashion, netting two goals in his first two games.

The on-loan Arsenal man is in his first spell away from the Emirates, with Leeds beating a number of clubs to his signature for the season.

"Young, important player in English football," is how Marcelo Bielsa described the forward when he first joined, and given the quality of his early showings, there's every chance he can go to the very top.

Nketiah was handed a start at Salford just five days after signing, where he scored in the first-half, while it took just four minutes to net on his debut in the Sky Bet Championship as Leeds got the better of Brentford.

The impact he has made in the early stages of his time in West Yorkshire has been immediate. Two goals in two games is a great return for any striker, but it's made more impressive by his lack of experience in senior football.

As a result, Sky Bet cut Nketiah to 20/1 to finish as the Championship's top goalscorer this season and given the start he's made, it's an accolade which may quickly become a realistic target.

With Leeds and Arsenal fans alike excited by his talent, we take a look at his start to the 2019/20 campaign and what role he can play in the future.

Nketiah's instant impact

Eddie Nketiah celebrates scoring the winner for Leeds against Brentford

Nketiah v Brentford

Minutes played: 17
Goals: 1
Shots on target: 2
Touches: 7
Passes: 3
Ball recoveries: 2
Interceptions: 1

Nketiah scored his second goal in as many games for the Whites on Wednesday night, having previously struck on debut against Salford.

Both of his goals have come from inside the six-yard box. In fact, the Arsenal loanee was the only player to register a shot from the six-yard box throughout Wednesday's contest at Elland Road, while his two shots on target were also more than any other player on the pitch - that's despite featuring for little more than a quarter of an hour.

The performance was a perfect one from the perspective of a substitute. Leeds needed an edge, a real impact from the bench, and Nketiah provided it.

Elland Road was loud when he was summoned back to the bench from his warm-up, the Leeds faithful having quickly fallen for an exciting talent with the ability to win them matches.

And judging by the numbers, there was no fluke about his impact.

Nketiah v Salford

Minutes played: 78
Goals: 1
Shots on target: 1
Touches: 26
Passes: 12
Chances created: 1

While being expected to benefit from Leeds' creativity inside the area, Nketiah has demonstrated his ability to drop deeper and link-up play when required.

Not only is he finishing opportunities presented to him, the striker also created a chance for Gjanni Alioski following good footwork on the halfway line.

Remarkably, Nketiah has scored three goals from his last four shots on target in the Carabao Cup - one for Leeds and two for Arsenal.

Bielsa is strict when it comes to ensuring that a player is fully understanding of the style when they join. Based on Nketiah's involvement so far, it's taken little time for him to adjust to new surroundings.

What role can he play?

Eddie Nketiah scores against Salford

It was expected that Nketiah would likely find himself as second-choice to Patrick Bamford, who possesses the number nine shirt at Elland Road.

However, his performances have made Bielsa consider a tactical change - one that allows both strikers to feature from the start.

"It depends on the needs of the game, according to the opponent and what they are doing, we may go with two strikers," Bielsa said after Wednesday's victory.

"Sometimes [playing] with a lot of strikers can have positive and negative impacts. They key is to read the game and make a decision game by game.

"It is important to play both together. They mix well. One is right-footed and the other left. Down the sides. (We) can play one in front and one in behind. They can make the link and make movements."

For any player coming off the bench, the ambition must be to give the manager a headache. Nketiah's involvement so far has done exactly that.

The only issue with a starting position is Leeds losing that impact from the bench. They were struggling to find a way through against Brentford before substitutes Helder Costa and Nketiah combined for the winner.

The duo of Nketiah and Bamford does have potential for goals, as Bielsa alluded to. The strike against Brentford was a glimpse of what they can do as they split at the vital moment to create a dilemma for opposition defenders.

With Costa set to cross the ball, Nketiah dropped to the back post and was found completely unmarked. At the same time, Bamford sat deeper to offer a cut-back option, the early signs perhaps of a clear understanding.

As the Bees' defence looked to cut out a potential pass to Bamford, Nketiah was presented with a simple tap-in from close range.

If they can continue to produce such sharp movement, combined with the midfielders driving into the area, Leeds should finally live up to their high expected goals tally.

The future at Arsenal

Eddie Nketiah scored a brace against Fiorentina in pre-season

It's very early days of course, but Arsenal fans will be following Nketiah's progress with great interest.

There's a lot of expectation around the young forward. He's only 20 years of age yet the comparisons are already in place with former Arsenal greats.

Indeed, the name Thierry Henry has been mentioned in the same sentence as Nketiah in some quarters. The duo already have a relationship and Nketiah chose the number 14 shirt at Leeds in homage to Henry, a former coach of his at youth level.

"I worked with Thierry as well (in the academy) and it’s great to get that advice off top strikers. Thierry was great for me, not just on the pitch but off the field as well," Nketiah explained.

The positive for Arsenal is Leeds' intent on attack. Bielsa is renowned for setting his side up to get goals and that will play right into the hands of a striker like Nketiah.

It's an extremely organised process where everyone is made aware of their role with meticulous detail, expected to fulfil their duties with the precision of a counter on a tactics board.

Eddie Nketiah scores for Arsenal against Bayern Munich in pre-season

While the minutes played, combined with goals scored, will be the main measure of his time at the club, the impact of a season spent under Bielsa's guidance should not be underestimated.

Leeds generated considerable improvement in almost every member of the squad last season. Those who could benefit the team were played in roles where they could excel.

"He's improved me, definitely," midfielder Adam Forshaw told the BBC in a recent interview.

"I think a lot of the lads can say the same. Me, now, at 27, he's making me feel like I'd like to be a manager.

"He's brought a lot of things into my game that I feel I could take into management one day hopefully, and he's made me really think about the game differently."

That improvement was seen in Leeds' position last season. Bielsa transformed a mid-table side into title contenders almost overnight, albeit they fell at the final hurdle.

When it comes to Nketiah's personal development, Arsenal couldn't have placed him in better hands.

The aim will obviously be for him to enjoy senior football and return to push for a first team place at Arsenal next season. Given the qualities we've seen of him so far, there's every chance he can go on and do just that.

Odds correct at 1100 BST (22/08/19)