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A pale smile could be glimpsed on Eddie Nketiah’s face as, with 28 minutes to go, he switched places with Folarin Balogun and headed to the bench. Nketiah probably felt there were more goals for him in an entertaining enough game, having opened the scoring with a textbook example of offensive aggression that Arsenal have missed. But perhaps he also knew that in Balogun, 19, he has serious competition.
If lack of goals is one of the main causes of your downfall in the Premier League, there are many indications that it doesn’t have to be a long-term problem.
Within minutes of his arrival, Balogun stopped his man and scored a goal for Joe Willock. He continued to use the ball cunningly and then, towards the end, he swept Arsenal’s fourth home with confidence from 12 yards after a pass from Nicolas Pépé. There’s something about the way he behaves that appeals to instinct: Balogun just looks good and, assuming Arsenal finally solves his long-term future, it won’t be long before he’s invited to transfer a natural security to a stage. more exalted. .
“It was magnificent,” Mikel Arteta said of Balogun, who had scored his first senior goal against Molde a fortnight ago. “It seemed like a threat again. He looked really lively and mature in that field. Hopefully we can reach an agreement and extend his contract ”.
Given Arsenal’s immediate concerns, it would be unwise to extrapolate too much from a game between two teams whose fate has long been sealed. Arsenal have made it through Group B; Dundalk leaves useless but with eight goals and a lot of good will. Inevitably the intensity waned at times, but Arteta could surely do worse than combine an element or two from his Europa League buccaneer squad when Burnley visits on Sunday.
Nketiah’s goal scored a point of its own both in form and timing. He hasn’t started a top-flight game for more than two months, and while certain aspects of his game require development, his payload of Andy Boyle’s punt and subsequent Gary Rogers chip offered a microcosm of his strengths. Last season, Nketiah earned a reputation for forcing mistakes, and with his instincts in the penalty area flawless, he may offer the advantage they need.
“He’s lively, he’s hungry, he’s only satisfied when he scores and it’s a safe option,” added the coach. Mohamed Elneny tends to give less power, but doubled Arsenal’s lead with a 28-yard yell after a good job from Emile Smith Rowe, who was starting for the first time this season and made his own case to keep going.
Dundalk responded through Jordan Flores, whose rake edged out Alex Rúnarsson before the break. They had an equalizer nose, but had to settle for the last word, Sean Hoare headed towards the end. Between those goals Balogun had left his mark; now he will wait for another opportunity. “We need to start winning soccer games right away,” Arteta said. Based on recent evidence, your youth products wouldn’t be intimidated by that challenge.
