The England international left the Gunners last summer after over a decade at the club. He had interest from several sides, but Crystal Palace won the race for his signature in the end.
Many people viewed Nketiah as a great signing for the Eagles and expected him to become a star at Selhurst Park because he would get regular game time there.
However, Nketiah has had a tough season at Palace and failed to score in any of his first 18 appearances in the Premier League.
That drought finally came to an end on Tuesday night.
Emile Smith Rowe and Joe Willock react after Eddie Nketiah scored for Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace took on Aston Villa at Selhurst Park on Tuesday night.
Unai Emery’s side went into the fixture as the favourites having beaten Chelsea in their previous game. Their January signings were all looking good and many people expected them to get the result.
However, Oliver Glasner’s men smashed four past Aston Villa and secured a convincing 4-1 victory against the Villans.
Nketiah, who came on as a substitute in the 86th minute of the game, managed to find the net in stoppage time.
That’s the Englishman’s first Premier League goal for Palace since joining the club from Arsenal in last summer’s transfer window.
After the game, Nketiah took to Instagram to celebrate his goal. His old Arsenal teammates showed him some love in the comments below.
Jordi Osei-Tutu and Tyreece John-Jules replied with emojis, while Emile Smith Rowe wrote: “The truth!”
Joe Willock commented: “My boyyyy!”
Screengrab of replies under Eddie Nketiah's Instagram post
Credit: @eddienketiah Instagram
When did Eddie Nketiah last score a Premier League goal?
Nketiah was always a prolific goal scorer at youth level.
Everyone in Arsenal’s academy expected the Englishman to become a star after he broke into the first team, but unfortunately for him, he hasn’t been able to deliver consistently.
Before his goal against Aston Villa, Nketiah had been on a run of 484 days, or one year, three months and 26 days, without scoring in the Premier League.
His last goal before Tuesday night came in Arsenal’s colours – Nketiah scored a hat-trick in a 5-0 win against Sheffield United at the Emirates Stadium in October 2023.
Nketiah is unlikely to become the first choice at Crystal Palace ahead of Jean-Philippe Mateta after his goal last night, but ending his drought must give him the confidence he needs to have a bigger impact in games.
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