Mikel Arteta hails Reiss Nelson after Arsenal defeat Portsmouth

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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta told the Evening Standard that he was pleased to see Reiss Nelson show people what he is capable of during a 2-0 FA Cup win over Portsmouth last night.

The 20-year-old hasn’t featured too regularly this season making just 10 starts in all competitions prior to last night.

At Fratton Park, he lined up on the right-wing and produced a stunning assist for Eddie Nketiah to put a seal on the victory.

It was a strong performance from the academy graduate and Arteta was pleased for the youngster.

He told the Evening Standard: “We have pace in a few players upfront. Reiss (Nelson) is a special player and can eliminate players one on one. He’s been out for a while but he’s back now and he showed what he is capable of.”

The England under-21 man will hope that last night’s performance proves the catalyst for more game time.

After spending time on loan at Hoffenheim last season he had been tipped to return to the Emirates Stadium and make an impact during 2019/20.

That hasn’t transpired and other players have jumped ahead of him in the queue.

Having to impress a new manager is never easy but these comments suggest that Arteta was happy with what he saw from the speedster last night.

Arsenal are now in the last eight of the FA Cup, a competition which hands them another route into Europe.

With plenty of football left to be played Nelson will hope his stunning performance last night opens the door for more chances between now and the end of the campaign.