Eddie Nketiah is feeling the confidence of Mikel Arteta.
For the second consecutive Premier League game, Eddie was chosen to lead the line, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on the left flank and Alexandre Lacazette on the bench.
Arteta's reward for his faith in Nketiah was a goal and an all-action display in our 3-2 win over Everton, and Nketiah duly thanked his boss for continuing to give him opportunities to prove himself.
Eddie spoke following Sunday afternoon's victory - and this is what he said:
on the first goal created and scored by two Arsenal under-21s since Denilson assisted Bendtner in 2008...
It obviously makes us very happy and proud. We're working very hard and Saka's a great player and he's in great form. I'm working hard and doing well myself, so we've got a good understand and we've been playing for a while together. I knew he was going to whip it into the dangerous area and I just tried my best to run in there and get on the end of it.
on the importance of Mikel Arteta to his development...
He's great, he's given us a lot of opportunities and he's showed us that if you work hard in training, it doesn't matter how old you are, he'll give you the chance if he thinks you deserve it. It's great for a young player to know that the manager is confident in us and has belief in us and it's just about working hard each day and improving with each game and that's what we're doing.
on a thrilling match...
It was a very entertaining game. We didn't want it as open as it was but I think we obviously did well to defend and were very resilient. It was interesting for the fans to watch and we're just happy that we ground out the three points and it's another win and a step in the right direction.
on tired legs at the end...
Definitely. We've been working really hard and the games are coming thick and fast, so it's a quick turnaround. We're recovering well, we're working hard and we all want to give our all whenever we step on the pitch. The mentality of the group is great and you can see it on the pitch.
on if he thought he'd scored a second when he hit the bar...
Yes! I thought I hit it quite sweet, so I thought it was going to dip in but that's the second game in a row that I've hit the crossbar. But I'm happy to be a threat and causing chances and I'm getting closer. I know that eventually they'll keep going in. I'm happy with the goal I got but it's about improving and hopefully just trying to get more.
on climbing the table...
It's just about taking each game as it comes. The team want to continue to win and continue to improve. That's the most important thing. We'll see where we are come the end of the season.
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