ROBINSON ON A ROLL
Leeds loan helped Eddie answer call for goals
(inset)
EDDIE NKETIAH says he is a better player for his loan spell at Leeds despite only starting two Championship games.
The Arsenal striker revealed he was 50-50 to go back out on loan last month before boss Mikel Arteta decided to give him his first-team chance at the Emirates.
And the England Under-21 international has grasped the opportunity with both hands, scoring in the 3-2 win against Everton on Sunday.
He performed his trademark phone-call celebration after firing in his second strike in only his second Premier League start.
He scored five times for Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds – including four in his first six games – before his January recall because of his lack of game time under the Argentine coach.
But Nketiah, 20, said: “My Leeds experience was good for me, I learned a lot as a player.
“I might not have played as much as I wanted but I had good moments when I was and played.
“If you check my minutes-to-goal ratio it’s quite good.
“You have to learn about yourself and take each opportunity as it comes. I’m here playing at Arsenal now, which is a dream.”
The striker nearly went back out on loan to Bristol City last month before Arteta wanted him to stay.
“He was a bit 50-50 on letting me go anyway and I was 50-50 as well,” Nketiah added.
“He likes this mentality and obviously the quality I have, I try to showcase that.”
Nketiah said the Arsenal media team came up with the phrase “Call me if you need a goal” in pre-season.
“I have kind of just stuck with it,” he said.
“A lot of my friends like it so they are eager for me to dial them up if I get on the scoresheet.
“I try to enjoy each goal and I always try to celebrate and enjoy it. It is always a blessing to score.” there when
I came on
CALLUM ROBINSON has told his team-mates to keep their foot on the gas all the way to the Premier League.
The West Brom striker scored in a 3-0 win at Bristol City on Saturday to stretch the Baggies’ lead over third-placed Fulham to nine points.
But even though they top the Championship, Robinson says there can be no let-up, starting with tonight’s visit from sixth-placed Preston – his old club.
Robinson, 25 (right), said: “It’s a big result for us and it’s massive that we push on now.
“These wins are the foundations but hopefully now we can keep getting results and try to get promotion.
“The teams around us dropped points too which makes it an even bigger win.
“There’s a lot of talent in the team and Matheus (Pereira), Filip (Krovinovic), we’re all linking up well together and we have a lot of hard-working players.
But Jake Livermore – what a performance, what a captain.
“What he shows is passion from the get-go. He was at it pressing and winning the ball back high up the pitch which set the tone for the game.
“There’s so much experience in the team, lads who’ve been there, played at the highest level and I think that’s why we’re pushing on up the league because we’ve got that nous.”