"Basically a cardio session for him", "Mid player" - Fans slam Arsenal star for his performance in 2-1 loss against Fulham

Arsenal fans online were less than impressed with the performance put in by forward Eddie Nketiah in their game against Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday, December 31. The Gunners suffered a 2-1 defeat against their fellow London opponents as their title challenge suffered a big blow.

Bukayo Saka opened the scoring for the visitors in the fifth minute. Raul Jimenez equalized for Fulham in the 29th minute, getting on the end of a low cross by Tom Cairney. Bobby De Cordova-Reid netted the winner for the Cottagers in the 59th minute.

Manager Mikel Arteta decided to start Nketiah for the first time in the Premier League since early November, when they faced Newcastle United. He played the full 90 minutes against Fulham but had an underwhelming game.

Eddie Nketiah took just two shots in the entire game, out of which only one was on target. The 24-year-old forward had just 24 touches and ended the match with a pass completion rate of 67 percent. He also lost possession on nine separate occasions.

Arsenal fans were unhappy with Eddie Nketiah's efforts against Fulham. Some claimed that the forward should never represent their club again, while others said he was invisible throughout the game.

Here are a few reactions from frustrated Gunners supporters on X (Twitter):

"90 minutes for Eddie Nketiah today. Was basically a cardio session for him. 0 away league goals in the league for over a year. If you want to win a league title then you need more I’m afraid.."

"He's a mid player who should be in championship."

Here are some more fan reactions from the social media platform:

Eddie Nketiah has struggled for consistency this season. The England international has scored six goals and provided four assists from 26 appearances for Arsenal across all competitions.

This includes a hat-trick against Sheffield United in the Premier League back in late October. Nketiah, however, has not scored a single league goal for the Gunners since.

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Arsenal have slipped down to fourth in the Premier League standings

Despite being at the top of the Premier League charts at Christmas, Arsenal will enter the New Year having slipped down to fourth. This is mainly down to their consecutive league defeats at the hands of West Ham United and Fulham.

As things stand, Mikel Arteta's side have picked up 40 points from 20 matches in the league. This leaves them two points behind league leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand. The Reds will host Newcastle United on Monday, January 1.

Arsenal's next game in the Premier League is against Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium on January 20. Before that, they face Liverpool at home in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday, January 7.