Eddie Nketiah has discussed the unity in the Arsenal dressing room and how the club’s famous Invincibles team inspires the current side.
Nketiah scored as Arsenal opened the Premier League campaign with a 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest on Saturday, as the Gunners look to challenge for the title after a runners-up finish last season.
The 24-year-old is part of a home-grown core of academy graduates in Mikel Arteta’s squad, who have continued to improve with each season under the Spaniard’s management.
Nketiah has opened up on the dressing room dynamics and has discussed his close relationship with Arsenal’s fellow academy products, having each shared a similar path to first-team football.
“I think I’ve got a good relationship with everyone,” he told the club’s official website.
“Probably particularly Reiss (Nelson). I’ve obviously played with him for a long time, and also Bukayo too. The Hale Ends boys basically. We’ve all done the same journey, we can relate to each other. So I’ve got a good relationship with everyone but if I had to pick one, I’d say Reiss, he’s like a brother to me.
“But I think it’s a good thing about this group. We are all really together, really feel like a family and we get along, you know? We hang out outside of football as well, so it’s really good.”
This season will mark 20 years since Arsenal last won the Premier League title, when Arsene Wenger’s famous side completed an entire league campaign without defeat.
The Gunners pushed Manchester City close for the title last season and Nketiah admits that Arsenal’s Invincibles are a source of inspiration as the current team look to make their own history.
“Obviously that’s an amazing team, what they achieved, no-one else has ever been able to repeat,” the forward said.
“It’s something so special I think, and to have that kind of history behind the club is important for us as players. A lot of my favourite players probably came from that era.
“For myself, I always looked up to Thierry and we all take inspiration from that team. I hope one day that we can be involved in a team that goes on to achieve more history here. They set the standard that we all try to reach together.”
