It’s always interesting to see how players react to their performances, especially when it comes to ratings in the media.
Although most footballers today might not stress over their newspaper reviews as much as in the past, you occasionally get a glimpse that they still care.
Take, for instance, a situation where a Brighton player’s representative called up to express frustration over a bad rating following a penalty mistake.
The player felt the rating didn’t reflect the other good moments he had on the field.
Eddie Nketiah’s Ill-Fated Appearance for Crystal Palace
For Eddie Nketiah, a 30-million-pound summer signing from Arsenal, his Saturday performance against Brighton will likely be a moment he’d rather forget.
Coming on with his team leading 2-1, Nketiah made more headlines for his missteps than his contributions.
In just 10 minutes on the pitch, he managed to earn two yellow cards, leading to a red and a very early exit.
A Series of Poor Decisions
Nketiah’s first yellow card came after a controversial attempt to win a penalty against Brighton’s Pervis Estupinan, an action that was swiftly punished.
His second yellow, and ultimately his red, came after a reckless challenge where his studs were dangerously close to Jan Paul van Hecke’s head.
Nketiah knew he had messed up, apologizing as he walked off the field, but the damage was done.
Crystal Palace Survives Despite the Chaos
Despite the chaos and being reduced to just nine men after Marc Guehi’s red card, Crystal Palace managed to hold on for a 2-1 victory.
Brighton, too, saw their own player sent off in stoppage time when van Hecke was shown a red.
A Tough Season for Nketiah
It’s been a difficult season for Nketiah at Palace, and this performance was certainly one of the lowest points in his stint.
With a rating of one out of 10, it’s clear that he has a lot to prove moving forward.
But, for now, Crystal Palace will take the three points, even if they had to navigate the final minutes with reduced numbers on the field.
