English-Ghanaian striker Eddie Nketiah has shared his excitement after ending his goal-drought in the EFL Cup on Wednesday night.
Nketiah scored against his former outfit Arsenal as Crystal Palace succumbed to a 3-2 defeat in the quarterfinals clash.
Despite his efforts, Crystal Palace fell short as Arsenal advanced to the semi-finals of the competition.
“It was a nice header [and] a good cross from Clyney. [I’m] happy to get back on the scoresheet.
“It was disappointing not to get through, but I think the travelling fans were excellent. We could feel their support and they really pushed us to the end. That’s why we almost came back and equalised.
“All the boys [must now] recover. We’ve put a lot of effort out there, a lot of impact out there, so we’ll just try to recover as quickly as possible, keep working hard, keep training and be focused to come back.
“We’re going to have all our fans at home so we know how difficult it can be [for opponents] when we’re on it. We’re going to make it a difficult game and hopefully get the three points.”
Crystal Palace took an early lead at the Emirate Stadium when Jean-Philippe Mateta capitalised on a defensive error to score.
Arsenal responded strongly, with Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus combining to produce a series of goals that swung the momentum in favour of the Gunners.
Gabriel Jesus played a pivotal role, scoring a hat-trick to put Arsenal in control of the game.
Eddie Nketiah, who started the match from the bench, came on in the second half and immediately made an impact. In the 85th minute, he connected with a well-placed lofted pass from Nathaniel Clyne, guiding a close-range header past Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya.
His effort reduced the deficit to one goal, but it wasn’t enough to overturn the results as Arsenal secured a place in the semifinals at the expense of Palace.
Nketiah has now scored two goals and provided two assists since joining Crystal Palace from Arsenal in the summer.
