Nketiah Scores Goals In Arsenal Vs Leeds Match, Arteta: He Will Be A Top Player

JAKARTA - Mikel Arteta hopes Eddie Nketiah stays at Arsenal after he scored in the Gunners' 2-0 Carabao Cup fourth-round win over Leeds United on Wednesday.

Arteta's gamble gave Nketiah the opportunity to lead Arsenal's front line and was paid off by the 22-year-old striker. The former Leeds loan player scored the Gunners' second goal in the 69th minute.

It started with goalkeeper Bernd Leno's long pass which the Leeds defense failed to anticipate perfectly, so Nketiah faced one on one with goalkeeper Illan Meslier.

Nketiah then cheated the ball over Meslier's head which came out of his nest and the round skin then nestled into the Leeds goal. It was Nketiah's seventh goal in eight League Cup appearances.

Nketiah, who was close to joining Crystal Palace in the summer, could leave Arsenal for free at the end of the season if he does not agree to new terms.

The 22-year-old is likely to attract interest from other clubs in January, when he can sign a pre-contract agreement with an overseas team. However, Arteta wants him to stay at Arsenal.

"We had a situation in the summer that we were trying to work out and we couldn't do it," Arteta told standard.co.uk.

"It's a common contractual situation in football, especially in the midst of a pandemic and a lot of problems we have to work on.

"I have full confidence that he will be a top player and hopefully at Arsenal. I'm happy to have him, he's our player, I have a lot of respect for him and from my side I want him to stay."

Arsenal for the second season in a row successfully brought Arteta stepped into the quarter-finals. Nketiah et al will only find out about their opponents in the quarter-finals in the draw which will be held on Saturday, October 30.