Eddie Nketiah has replaced Gabriel Jesus after the Brazilian’s knee injury (Picture: Getty)
Danny Murphy has backed Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah to outscore Gabriel Jesus this season.
Jesus joined the Gunners from Manchester City in a £45m deal this summer and has scored five goals across 14 Premier League games.
But the 25-year-old Brazil international picked up a knee injury during the World Cup in Qatar and is not expected to return until around February 28.
Nketiah has since taken his place in the side and has registered two goals across his first three top-flight games since the Premier League restart.
Those came in the wins over West Ham and Brighton respectively before the Gunners – who are top of the league – drew 0-0 with Newcastle on Tuesday.
Former Liverpool midfielder Murphy is backing Nketiah to add more goals to his tally and feels the 23-year-old will overtake Jesus and become Arsenal’s main goalscorer this term.
‘I like him,’ Murphy told talkSPORT. ‘Well, Jesus, before he went away didn’t score in 11. And [Nketiah has] started three and scored two.
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‘Now, he might not give you the other things Jesus gives you. But I think he’d score more goals in this Arsenal team, because they make chances. And his link-up’s not bad.’
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta recently labelled academy graduate Nketiah a ‘key player’ and claims he has ‘more faith in [him] every single day’.
The Spaniard said: ‘I’ve more faith in Eddie every single day, because we see every day what he brings to the team, what he is as a human being, the way he is developing as a player.
‘He is ready, that is why he signed his contract – he is key player in our squad.’
The Gunners return to action on Monday when they face League One side Oxford United in the FA Cup third round.
Their next Premier League match falls on January 15 as they lock horns with Tottenham in the north London derby.
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It involves Gabriel Jesus…
