Following his winner against FC Zurich in Thursday’s Europa League Group A opener, Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah has joined an elite group of players.
The Englishman started at the point of attack for the Gunners and assisted Marquinhos to open the scoring on his debut just 16 minutes in.
Nketiah then went from hero to zero by giving away a penalty at the end of the first half, which Mirlind Kryeziu converted to bring Franco Foda’s side back into the game.
However, it was the 23-year-old who scored the game-winning goal at Kybunpark, as he met Marquinhos’ cross and headed home at Yanick Brecher’s near post just after the hour mark, propelling the Gunners to a 2-1 victory.
Nketiah, who also scored against Rapid Vienna and Dundalk in the 2020-21 group stage, became only the fifth English player to score in three consecutive Europa League starts.
Only Harry Kane, Jermain Defoe, James Tavernier, and Bobby Zamora have previously achieved the feat in England, and Nketiah now has 24 goals from 99 appearances in an Arsenal shirt.
Mikel Arteta’s side will look to go two for two in Group A when they host PSV Eindhoven next week, who drew 1-1 with Bodo/Glimt on an opening day.
The Gunners were scheduled to play Everton in the Premier League this weekend, but due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday, all top-flight, EFL, and women’s fixtures have been postponed.
