It was a good day at the office for Arsenal on Wednesday night. A calm and relatively straightforward win over Luton Town sent them back to the top of the Premier League table, at least for now.
Mikel Arteta made a number of changes to the side that earned a point at the Etihad on Sunday – five to be exact – and while Thomas Partey and Emile Smith Rowe certainly pleaded their case to be more involved in the title run-in, some of the others didn't.
One of those who flattered to deceive was Hale End graduate Reiss Nelson, who, while busy, failed to have much of an impact on proceedings. So, it might be time for the club to cash in.
Reiss Nelson's performance vs Luton
In fairness to Nelson, he was always going to be up against it last night as he had the unenviable task of filling in for the talismanic Bukayo Saka, who has been a near-permanent fixture on the right under Arteta.
That said, he struggled to make a case for himself throughout his performance, and for the first time in a long time, Arsenal's attacks were split relatively evenly between their left and right flanks.
It looked as if he had scored the second goal of the night in the first half, but in reality, he had missed Smith Rowe's brilliantly driven pass, and it was Luton's Daiki Hashioka who bundled it into his own net.
The Elephant and Castle-born wideman wasn't terrible, but he did look a level below the man he was replacing, and the 6/10 rating he received from the Standard's Simon Collings, who claimed he 'didn't take his chance like others', was probably fair.
Minutes
75'
Expected Goals
0.11
Expected Assists
0.03
Shots on Target
0
Shots off Target
0
Blocked Shots
1
Touches
44
Passing Accuracy
33/33 (100%
Key Passes
1
Duels (Won)
7 (3)
This inability to grab the game by the scruff of the neck is clear in his individual statistics. In his 75 minutes of action, the 24-year-old completed 100% of his passes, took 44 touches and played one key pass, but he registered just 0.11 expected goals and 0.03 expected assists, had just one shot – which was blocked – and lost four of his seven duels.
In all, it wasn't an impressive showing from a man who so desperately needed to make an impact.
Reiss Nelson's stats this season
The reason last night was such a pivotal game for the tricky winger was because it was his second start of the season and first league start since July 2020, to be specific.
Including last night, the right-footed talent has made 23 appearances for the north Londoners this campaign. In these, he's scored just one goal and provided two assists, meaning he has averaged a goal involvement every 7.6 games.
However, these appearances have amounted to just 639 minutes of first-team football, meaning he's averaged a goal involvement every 213 minutes, which still isn't spectacular.
Appearances
23
Minutes
639
Goals
1
Assists
2
Minutes per Goal Involvement
213
So, with it abundantly clear that Arteta doesn't fancy him in the first team, is it time the club moved Nelson on?
Why Arsenal should sell Nelson
So, at this point, the answer looks like quite a resounding yes, as his path to regular first-team football in N5 looks more blocked than ever. Moreover, there appears to be genuine interest in his services from other top-flight sides, notably Brighton & Hove Albion.
Early last month, TEAMtalk revealed that the Seagulls were interested in bringing the £100k-per-week Arsenal man to the south coast. While the report states that the winger would be willing to leave, any deal would require a package of around £30m.
Now, getting such a sizable fee for a player who doesn't play would be a brilliant deal for the Gunners, but Brighton would also be getting their hands on a talented ace.
Appearances
152
Goals
8
Assists
9
Goal Involvements per Match
0.11
While he's not getting much game time at the moment, he's still made 152 appearances for the north Londoners and has eight goals and nine assists to his name, and under the progressive system at the Amex, he could explode.
Arsenal's "monster" who didn't play against Luton was the biggest winner
The brilliant player didn’t step foot on the pitch but now looks more secure than ever in his starting role.
ByJack Salveson HolmesApr 4, 2024
Ultimately, if Arsenal and Brighton can agree to a deal even close to £30m, then Nelson should be sold, as it would benefit all parties involved.
On the evidence of his display against the Hatters, he's seemingly never going to realise his potential at the Emirates.