Alan Shearer Questions Eddie Nketiah's Elite Potential After Arsenal's Win Over Everton

Alan Shearer, the legendary figure from Newcastle United, has raised doubts about whether Arsenal's star player, Eddie Nketiah, will ever attain the 'elite' status, following his performance during Arsenal's hard-fought 1-0 victory over Everton in the Premier League on Sunday.

Despite the return to full fitness of striker Gabriel Jesus, Arsenal's manager, Mikel Arteta, opted to place his trust in Nketiah, who recently received his first call-up to the England senior national team.

Nketiah found himself largely overwhelmed by Everton's formidable central defenders, with Leandro Trossard's second-half goal ultimately securing all three points for Arsenal.

When assessing Nketiah's performance, Shearer shared his observations on Premier League Productions, highlighting that the 24-year-old displayed a lack of speed during the match.

He remarked, "I think we will continue to have the discussion to say is he elite? Is he the top-tier striker that Arsenal may need to elevate their game to the next level?"

"We will keep asking those questions because it's crucial that when he gets the opportunity, as he did today when the manager demonstrates faith in him and includes him once more, he must capitalize on those chances."

Shearer went on to point out, "Today, I noticed two or three instances, including the disallowed goal and a couple in the second half, where I thought, 'Come on, get on the end of it, get into that six-yard box, and secure that tap-in, just as all great strikers do.' It was just a split second where he appeared slow."

He concluded, "Until he consistently delivers or accomplishes that, inquiries regarding his elite status will persist."