Who is Eddie Nketiah? Meet Arsenal's Carabao Cup Hero
Arsenal reached the quarterfinals of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday behind the performance of an unlikely hero.
Eddie Nketiah, 18, came on for Arsenal in the 85th minute with the Gunners down 1–0 at home to Norwich City. He promptly scored on his first touch off a corner, enough to send the match to extra time. And then in the 96th minute, Nketiah scored yet again—this time with his head off a corner—to give Arsenal a 2–1 lead.
Sure, Arsene Wenger was playing a B-team, but a loss to a Championship side at home is still a loss to a Championship side at home. And it wasn't Olivier Giroud, Theo Walcott or Jack Wilshere—all of whom started on Tuesday—that saved Arsenal. It was an 18-year-old substitute.
With the ArsenalFanTV–fueled hype machine probably already in full gear, here's what you need to know about Eddie Nketiah, Arsenal's clear man of the match.
• Here's one for you millennials: Nketiah is apparently the first player born after Arsene Wenger was appointed Arsenal manager to score for the club.
• Nketiah has started for England on the U-18 and U-19 levels. He scored a hat trick for the U-18s against Qatar.
• Nketiah told Arsenal's website last December that he needed to work on his heading. If Tuesday's brace is any indication, he's already making strides.
• If Nketiah could score any goal in history, he would choose Thierry Henry's strike against Manchester United. (I assume he's referring to this wondergoal, which is a great choice.) Nketiah was one year old when Henry scored that goal. The Arsenal legend congratulated Nketiah on Twitter following Tuesday's game.
• Get ready for the "he's one of our own" chants: Nketiah supported Arsenal as a boy.
