Seaman asked if Reiss Nelson will start for Arsenal against Sporting
David Seaman has told his Seaman Says podcast that he could now see Reiss Nelson starting for Arsenal against Sporting in the Europa League, but admitted that that probably would not have been the case had the Gunners had a Premier League fixture up next.
Of course, Nelson was Arsenal’s hero at the weekend. It was the 23-year-old’s stunning strike which gave them a 3-2 win over Bournemouth to extend their lead over Manchester City to five points again.
Nelson actually has a remarkable record in the top-flight this season. He has three goals and two assists in three appearances for Mikel Arteta’s side. Incredibly, he has been on the pitch for around 90 minutes in total.
Seaman doubts Nelson will start next Arsenal match in the Premier League
Arteta himself, suggested that Nelson has proved a point to his coaching staff that he deserves more chances. And with that, the upcoming game against Sporting presents a golden opportunity.
Seaman has lauded Nelson for the way he has fought his way back into the fold. He was subsequently asked whether he could start on Thursday.
“That story’s brilliant because he’s been out on loan to a lot of clubs, trying to get experience. And then, he’s had a lot of injuries as well. And then, to come back, it’s really good for him. It might be a little platform for him to kick on and hopefully get a bit more game-time at Arsenal,” he told Seaman Says.
“He might do against Sporting. If it was another league game coming up, I’d say no. But for Sporting, he might do.”
The Europa League presents a good opportunity for Arteta to rotate and keep his players fresh. Ultimately, Arsenal would love to win the competition. But supporters would sacrifice the competition in a heartbeat if it boosted their hopes of winning the Premier League title.
In truth, one of the key pluses of winning the Europa League is booking a ticket to the Champions League. But Arsenal are surely going to secure that ticket anyway.
So it is the perfect opportunity to use Nelson. It is going to be a tough ask for the winger to put pressure on the likes of Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka.
But if he can continue to make an impact, Arteta may have little choice but to use him more as the finish line starts to emerge on the horizon.
