Nketiah and Balogun: their form and future

Mikel Arteta had plenty to savour from his strikers on Thursday as Eddie Nketiah and Folarin Balogun both found the net.

Nketiah's hunger to close down defenders paid dividends again with a blocked clearance setting up a cool finish to put us in front.

 

And Balogun made it two goals in four first-team appearances with an equally clinical strike late in the game.

 

"Flo has done really well," said Arteta. "Every minute he’s been on that field he’s been superb and today he looked a threat again. He scored a goal and set up another one, and he looked really lively and mature on the pitch.

 

"Eddie has started and he has the possibility to start again. He’s a goal threat and he’s a player that’s always very close in every action that is around the box. He’s lively, he’s got the hunger and he’s only satisfied when he scores, and that’s what we need now, so he’s an option for sure."

 

Arteta was asked about Balogun's future and the manager gave a positive response.

 

"We’ve been having some discussions with the player," he said.

 

"He knows that we want to retain him at the club and we know that the length of his contract at the moment is an issue, but we’re trying to resolve it in the best possible way. We want him to stay and he’s said to me that he wants to stay at the club, so hopefully we can reach an agreement and extend his contract."