Crystal Palace boss hints at new role for Eddie Nketiah following Arsenal exit

Eddie Nketiah won’t beryllium playing arsenic a striker for Crystal Palace, Oliver Glasner has stated aft the erstwhile Arsenal prima opened his relationship for his caller club.

The 25-year-old departed his boyhood nine connected deadline day, swapping northbound for southbound London successful a woody worthy upwards of £25million.

He looked crisp connected his debut for Palace successful the 2-2 gully with Leicester and scored his archetypal Eagles extremity connected Tuesday nighttime successful a 2-1 Carabao Cup triumph astatine Queens Park Rangers.

But fans person been speedy to spot that Nketiah is not playing successful his accustomed centre-forward position, but alternatively arsenic an attacking midfielder alongside Eberechi Eze and down Jean-Philippe Mateta.

Palace manager Glasner assures this tactical tweak was planned from the beginning, saying successful his post-QPR property conference: ‘You tin spot that we did our homework earlier signing him.

‘When you ticker Eddie play astatine Arsenal, helium played arsenic a 9 helium was precise progressive successful the game. He’s not a pivot, similar successful basketball, who is waiting for the ball.

‘He’s so, truthful astute successful uncovering the space. He tin play arsenic a nine, arsenic this 10, and erstwhile we switched 3 days agone to a 4-4-2 against Leicester, helium tin play astir the striker.

‘He has specified a bully feeling [for the game]. Sometimes, helium needs to enactment successful the pouch and past marque the tally successful behind. 

‘When Ebs [Eze] enactment a spot over, helium ran successful behind. He was waiting for the cutback erstwhile Tyrick Mitchell gave him the walk for the 2nd chance. These are antithetic situations, but helium has a feeling to marque the close decisions.’

While Glasner has not ruled retired returning Nketiah to the No.9 role, Mateta’s unthinkable signifier – 17 goals successful his past 19 games – means he’s apt to play successful a deeper relation arsenic agelong arsenic his teammate is successful the side.

Eze brilliantly acceptable up Nketiah for his maiden extremity earlier going connected to people the victor against QPR, and adjacent played a portion successful convincing his chap England prima to swap the Emirates for Selhurst Park.

‘He’s a apical player, I cognize that,’ Eze added.

‘If you enactment him successful the close places he’s going to finish, and contiguous he’s got the archetypal 1 [for Palace]. I’m definite galore volition travel aft this.’

Nketiah’s extremity was his archetypal since past December and he’ll beryllium hoping to extremity his adjacent twelvemonth agelong hold for a Premier League extremity connected Saturday evening erstwhile the Eagles big Manchester United.

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