insists Eddie Nketiah is capable of being a vital part of Arsenal’s title challenge this season.
The 24-year-old was handed a surprise start by Mikel Arteta on Saturday as the Gunners got their campaign underway with a 2-1 win over .
Nketiah showed flashes of his potential last season when he deputised for the injured Gabriel Jesus, but started last weekend’s Community Shield win over on the bench with summer signing Kai Havertz given the nod.
The Hale End Academy graduate seized the opportunity to impress on Saturday, scoring his side’s first goal of the season with a deflected shot after some impressive skill from Gabriel Martinelli created an opportunity.
And Ferdinand believes Nketiah, often underappreciated given the stellar talents around him, will continue to be an important part of a squad looking to go one better than last term.
He told TNT Sports: ‘He would have seen people saying is he the right guy, can he show the responsibility if Jesus isn’t fit, is he someone who can score the goals to get them to win the league and help them become a successful team?
‘He answers people. This kid knows how to score goals he’s done it all his career. I don’t know him personally but I know people around him and he’s worked on himself physically.
‘He is diligent behind the scenes, got a great work ethic. Whatever you think of him he knows how to put the ball in the back of the net. He can finish.
‘Man City won the league with someone who scored 51 goals from the centre forward position.
‘Arsenal don’t have that guy to do that but they have the potential to do it through a cluster of players.
‘He’s very valuable. He showed last year when Jesus got injured, for a period of time he didn’t go unnoticed.’
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