Arsenal remain five points clear at the top of the Premier League table following their vital comeback victory over AFC Bournemouth at the weekend.
With the scores tied at 2-2 heading into the 97th minute of the match, it seemed destined that the Gunners would drop more points in the title race and give Manchester City more confidence that they could retain their crown.
Step forward, Reiss Nelson. The 23-year-old was introduced in the 69th minute for Emile Smith Rowe and he scored the winner with just seconds left to spark wild scenes at the Emirates, with the win a sign of champions-elect, that’s for sure.
Fabrizio Romano lavished praise on the young winger, saying he had a “fantastic impact” on the game and he looks as though he is fighting fit.
With a Europa League clash against Sporting CP coming up on Thursday, it could give Mikel Arteta the chance to rotate his squad – especially with a meeting with Fulham to come just three days later – and he should unleash Nelson from the start.
Will Reiss Nelson start for Arsenal against Sporting CP?
Nelson certainly took his chance against Bournemouth well, recording a Sofascore rating of 8.6/10 for his 21-minute cameo. He managed not only to score the winner but also grabbed an assist, had two shots on target and succeeded with his only dribble attempt, proving that he was an effective attacking threat.
The 23-year-old also managed to complete 100% of his attempted passes while taking 23 touches and losing possession just three times as the winger looked like a man possessed against the Cherries.
Having missed 16 matches this term due to injury, opportunities have been few and far between, yet when he has been called upon, his performances have been solid.
The Englishman scored a brace and grabbed an assist against Nottingham Forest back in October and manager Steve Cooper lauded him after the match, saying: “[Reiss Nelson] and I always had a strong relationship. He was a standout player for England U17s. It’s good to see him doing well, I just wish it wasn’t today.”
The next couple of months – depending on how far Arsenal go in Europe – could feature two games a week and this will likely mean the starting XI will be rotated heavily between matches.
Indeed, his chances have already been boosted by Leandro Trossard’s groin injury.
The Belgian has been playing as a false 9 in recent weeks having scored his first goal in the draw with Brentford before supplying assists in the wins over both Leicester and Everton.
Although the January signing from Brighton is only set to miss around two weeks of action, now is well and truly Nelson’s time to shine with attacking options a little sparse with injuries to Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah to consider too.
With Nelson now ready to make an impression, unleashing him against Sporting could be the ideal chance for him to build upon his weekend’s performance while giving the 5 foot 9 gem a chance to try and displace Bukayo Saka from the side.