Eddie Nketiah sends message to Arsenal fans after Crystal Palace hit back late
Crystal Palace star Eddie Nketiah has responded to the reception he received from Arsenal supporters at the Emirates Stadium.
The striker initially joined the Gunners at academy level, before going on to make over 150 first-team appearances for the club across all competitions.
Last summer though, Nketiah was sold to Crystal Palace by Arsenal, with the 25-year-old signing a contract at Selhurst Park until the end of the 2028/29 season.
On Wednesday (23 April), Palace travelled to the Emirates Stadium to take on Mikel Arteta‘s side, giving the striker another chance to play at his former home ground.
Eddie Nketiah gets warm Arsenal reception
Nketiah played 80 minutes for Crystal Palace against Arsenal, before being substituted for Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Shortly after that change, Mateta scored a stunning goal to earn a 2-2 draw for Oliver Glasner’s side, meaning Liverpool now need just one more point to beat the Gunners to the Premier League title.
As that alteration had been made, Nketiah had received warm and audible applause from the vast majority of the home crowd in the Emirates Stadium.
| Eddie Nketiah vs Arsenal | Total (from SofaScore) |
| Shots on Target | 0 |
| Shots off Target | 2 |
| Expected Goals | 0.61 |
| Big Chances Missed | 2 |
| Successful Passes | 10/11 |
That response from the Arsenal fans was certainly something that the Crystal Palace striker appeared to appreciate as he took to social media to reflect on the match.
Posting on his Instagram story on Thursday (24 April), Nketiah wrote: “Always nice to be back at the Emirates. Thank you for the warm reception.”
Crystal Palace striker needs a lift
Football Insider Verdict
It hasn’t been an easy first season at Selhurst Park for Nketiah, with the striker struggling to get into the starting lineup and goals proving hard to come by.
With the form Mateta has started to find for Crystal Palace though, the former Arsenal man is far from the only striker who would find it hard to get into the team ahead of him.
Indeed, Nketiah will know the reason he started against the Gunners is likely to help keep Mateta fresh for the FA Cup semi final against Aston Villa at the weekend.
Even so, there have been some signs lately that the 25-year-old may be starting to gradually find his feet in Glasner’s side.
That was again the case in this game, where Nketiah’s movement gave the Arsenal something to think about, and he did get into some good positions.
In the past he has shown he can take opportunities in those areas, so it would be no surprise if that eventually starts to happen here, at which he point he could become an asset for Crystal Palace.