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Former Arsenal ace Eddie Nketiah has expressed his delight after netting a last-gasp winner for Crystal Palace against Liverpool.
Nketiah, who made the switch from Arsenal to Palace last summer, had a quiet first season at Selhurst Park, bagging seven goals in 37 appearances. The 25-year-old started this season on the sidelines due to a hamstring injury but returned to action as a second-half substitute during last weekend's 2-1 Premier League victory at West Ham.
Despite starting on the bench once more, Nketiah was brought on in the 75th minute against Liverpool, and this time, he made his mark. At the point of his introduction, Palace was aiming to hold onto a 1-0 lead courtesy of Ismaila Sarr's first-half strike.
The Eagles seemed set to drop two points when Federico Chiesa netted an equalizer in the 87th minute, but Nketiah had the final say.
In the seventh minute of stoppage time, a Palace throw-in caused chaos in the Liverpool box before Marc Guehi flicked it on, and the ball found its way to Nketiah at the far post.
The former Gunner controlled the ball before blasting it past Alisson, who had previously denied Palace from extending their lead on several occasions.
It was a moment that not only Palace fans celebrated, but also those of Arsenal. If the Gunners can overcome Newcastle at St. James' Park on Sunday, Mikel Arteta's side will close the gap to title rivals Liverpool to just two points.
Following his goal, Nketiah took to social media with the message: "It's our time [watch emoji and folded hands emoji] @cpfc," accompanied by several images from the match.
Several current Arsenal players expressed their support for Nketiah, including Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Jesus, Myles Lewis-Skelly, and Declan Rice, who liked the post.
Reiss Nelson, currently on loan at Brentford from the Gunners, commented: "My boy [red love heart]."
Speaking to Match of the Day after the game, when asked about his goal, Nketiah said: "I just tried to stay calm, I got a good first touch and a nice finish.
When questioned about the full-time scenes at Selhurst Park, where the Eagles extended their 18-match unbeaten run, Nketiah added: "That's what our fans are known for, and it shows the unity of the group.
"We always keep believing, there was still time to play. The manager said to stay calm, told us that we would get another situation and thankfully we did. There aren't many teams who can create that many chances against Liverpool, so it's a thoroughly deserved three points.
"We are just taking it one game at a time. We have a really good group, so we will keep pushing and try to bring more success to the fans."
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