ARSENAL striker Eddie Nketiah is looking forward to blasting his side to success in this season’s Europa League.

Nketiah, 23, signed a long-term deal with the club at the end of last season, after it appeared he would be leaving the club he joined in his mid-teens. 

While the Lambeth-born attacker only scored five Premier League goals last term, they all came in April and May as he ended the campaign strongly, prompting him to extend his stay in North London.

With boss Mikel Arteta set to rest various players ahead of the crucial clash against Liverpool on Sunday, Thursday’s match against Bodo/Glimt at Ashburton Grove is the ideal opportunity for Nketiah to add to his solitary Europa League strike this season, which came during the 2-1 win over FC Zurich in Switzerland

“It’s a very important competition for us to win," Nketiah said. "It’s good to test yourself against European opponents – I’m looking forward to the game.” 

With the Gunners top of the Premier League, powered by £45m arrival Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City, Nketiah sees no reason why he can’t play alongside the influential Brazil star this term.

“When you play for a big club like Arsenal it’s all about competition – and I’m not scared of competition,” he added, describing Jesus as “a great player, good to play alongside and to learn from. He brings hunger and desire and comes from a winning environment,” explaining that “all the new signings have brought something.”

Nketiah also referenced the moment during the All or Nothing documentary, when he chided colleague Sambi Lokonga for his sullen countenance when out of the side.

Nketiah said: “It was a little bit of a joke but that mentality comes from where I was raised – just do the best in the situation you’re put into.”

The Gunners are gearing up to play their first home European match since hosting Villarreal back in May 2021.

The North Londoners missed out on continental competition last term for the first time in 25 years, as Arteta’s side gear up to host the team from the Arctic Circle.

Kjetil Knutsen’s side head to North London top of the group with an impressive four points from six, after a 1-1 draw in Holland against PSV Eindhoven in their opening match. Following their opener, they beat FC Zurich 2-1 at their 8,270 capacity Aspmyra Stadion in the town of Bodo in Matchday Two. 

Boss Arteta will be hoping for a better outcome than his last European match, when his side drew 0-0 with former Gunners boss Unai Emery’s Yellow Submarines nearly 18 months ago, in a disappointing draw that saw them eliminated at the semi-final stage of the Europa League after a 2-1 defeat in Spain. 

Previewing the clash, Arteta said: “We’ve done our homework on them.”

Glimt have won just one of their last 13 away matches in Europe (D7 L5), a 3-1 victory at Celtic in February. They’ve also kept just one clean sheet in this run, a goalless draw at CSKA Sofia last season.