Eddie Nketiah scored a hattrick on Tuesday night as Arsenal trashed Sunderland 5-1 to enter the semifinals of the Carabao Cup.
The Gunners outgunned The Black Cats at the Emirates Stadium as Nketiah began his Man of the Match performance with a 17th-minute opener for Mikel Arteta’s men.
Nicolas Pépé doubled the lead for the hosts ten minutes later but Nathan Broadhead halved the deficit after just four minutes to keep the visitors in the tie.
Nketiah who opened the scoring for The Gunners in the first half bagged his second goal to restore Arsenal’s two-goal lead in the 49th minute.
The 22-year-old completed his hattrick by netting another goal in the 58th minute, sealing his MOTM award and dashing Sunderland’s hopes of a comeback.
After an impressive performance Arsenal 18-year-old under-23 player who was introduced tonight after scoring a solo move against United last weekend
18-year-old academy star, Charlie Patino, scored a remarkable goal on his Arsenal debut (90+1′) to round up the emphatic win for the Gunners.
With the goal, Patino became the youngest player to score on his Arsenal debut since Jon Sammels, who did so all the way back in 1963, according to Goal.
After the game, the man of the match, Eddie Nketiah, told Sky Sports: “It’s a great feeling. I just want to say thank you to my teammates. I had some really good assists today. I just had to be in the right place. It was nice to interact with the fans, you can’t beat having them in the stadium.
“We started a bit sloppy but we buckled up and improved in the second half. All in all, I think it’s a good display.
“This competition is where I’ve been getting starts and opportunities to play, so wherever I’m asked to play I’ll do my best for the team. I’m there if my manager needs me. I’m desperate to play football, but all I can do is keep working hard and hopefully, I’ll get opportunities. I’m here, I’m under contract, and as long as I play for Arsenal I’ll give my all.”
