"Haven’t had the courage to play him more" - Mikel Arteta says he has been 'unfair' with Arsenal star this season 

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has admitted that he has not treated Eddie Nketiah fairly this season, despite getting “every right to do something different.” His comments came after the Gunners’ 4-2 win at Chelsea in the Premier League on Wednesday night (20 April).

Arsenal academy graduate Nketiah has mostly warmed the bench this season, not starting a single league game until last Saturday’s (16 April) meeting against Southampton.

The 22-year-old did not manage to do anything of note in the 1-0 defeat at the Saint Mary's Stadium, but that didn’t keep Arteta from handing him another chance. Against Chelsea, Nketiah produced a sublime performance, bagging a brace to seal a famous win at Stamford Bridge.

Arteta lamented his treatment of Nketiah, admitting that he did not have the 'courage' to play him more frequently. Speaking to Arsenal’s official outlet after the match, the Spaniard said:

“If there is one player that I have been unfair with, I think it is him [Nketiah]. He has given me every right to do something different, so if Eddie hasn’t played more. It’s my fault and because as a manager I have missed something or I haven’t had the courage to play him more, and today he showed me again how wrong I was.”

The youngster scored his first goal in the 13th minute, intercepting Andreas Christensen’s mis-hit pass and applying a cool finish to put the visitors ahead. The English striker doubled his tally 12 minutes into the second half, again benefitting from a defensive mishap. This time, Malang Sarr failed to clear the ball, allowing Nketiah to pounce and slot it past Edouard Mendy.

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Arsenal could consider offering Eddie Nketiah an improved contract

Like Alexandre Lacazette, Eddie Nketiah will also be out of contract at the end of the season, leaving the Gunners without a first-team centre-forward. However, if Nketiah continues to perform the way he did at the Bridge, Mikel Arteta's side might be wise to offer him a fresh and improved contract.

As per Sky Sports, the 22-year-old turned down Arsenal’s first offer back in December, speculatively due to a lack of playing time. So, Arteta must give him the security of regular minutes and also work out a better monetary package.

The Gunners would still need to sign a lethal striker to fare better in England and Europe, but Nketiah could surely serve as a reliable deputy.

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