Martin Keown thinks Eddie Nketiah will start for Arsenal ahead of Aubameyang against Southampton

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Arsenal have the chance to put the last few weeks behind them when they take on Southampton today, and former defender Martin Keown believes Mikel Arteta will make some big selection calls.

Specifically, Keown believes that the Gunners manager might be tempted to leave out Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and go with the impressive Eddie Nketiah. Despite missing a golden chance at Everton, Nketiah was a lively presence for the Gunners.

The young England striker is set to leave in the summer. He is yet to sign a new deal, and will have the pick of a number of PL clubs it seems. However, Keown believes that won’t stop Arteta picking Nketiah over Aubameyang today.

“They’re not at the level where they can afford to let someone of that quality (Aubameyang) sit on the bench. I don’t think Aubameyang will start, I think Nketiah might be the player who starts,” Keown told Talksport. (quotes via Metro)

“The boy nearly grabbed the headlines when he hit the post when he came on, that can happen to a young player, it can happen to Aubameyang five minutes later. It might be a case of Arteta pulling Aubameyang in.”

Aubameyang hasn’t scored in five games now. Indeed, since signing a mega-money new deal, he has looked a shadow of the player who was competing for and winning golden boots.

TBR’s View: Eddie Nketiah Deserves Arsenal Chance

Or at least someone does in that attack. Some of the efforts from Aubameyang lately have been nothing short of abysmal. He is not leading this team, and Arteta showed he doesn’t consider him untouchable by taking him off at Old Trafford.

Nketiah, or even Folarin Balogun, would arguably do better at the moment. Yes, they are young. But they have a point to prove in one way or another. Surely, then, Arteta will make a change today and prove Keown’s theory correct.

Bare in mind, Nketiah is a player Arteta has used words such as ‘immense’ and ‘extraordinary’ to describe in the past, you wouldn’t put it past him calling on him today.