Eddie Nketiah after Carabao Cup win over Sunderland: “A great feeling.”

Arsenal FC hat-trick hero Eddie Nketiah expressed his delight after EFL Cup win over Sunderland on Tuesday.

Arsenal 5-1 Sunderland.

Eddie Nketia scored a hat-trick as Arsenal reached the EFL Cup semi-finals (Getty)

Eddie Nketiah says he is desperate to play football after registering a hat-trick in Arsenal’s Carabao Cup quarter-final win over League One side Sunderland.

The Gunners beat the Black Cats to seal their spot in the semi-finals of the competition on Tuesday night.

Nketiah opened the scoring from close range after Rob Holding's header was parried into his path and Nicolas Pepe soon doubled the lead for the north London club.

Mikel Arteta’s team looked to be cruising only for Sunderland to hit back when Nathan Broadhead calmly chipped the ball over goalkeeper Bernd Leno.

Then Arsenal prodigy Nketiah finished off Nuno Tavares's low cross just after the break to re-establish the lead, and the 22-year-old made it 4-0 in the 58th minute with Pepe’s second assist of the night.

Arsenal's 18-year-old debutant Charlie Patino made it 5-1 in injury-time to wrap up a brilliant all-round performance at Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal will discover their last-four opponents on Wednesday when the draw takes place after Tottenham host West Ham.

'I'm desperate to play football'

Arsenal FC prodigy Eddie Nketia was on fire against Sunderland (Sky Sports Screen Shot)

Nketiah told Sky Sports: "Great feeling. I want to say big thanks to my team-mates for some really good assists. I just had to be in the right place.

"I scored a similar goal [to his third] a couple of rounds ago. "It's nice to get that reaction. I'm happy we can go to the next round and get a few goals. "We could have played a lot better in the first half but we improved in the second half and more goals came. It was a great team display. "This competition is the place I've been getting starts. I'll do my best whenever I'm asked to play. "I'm desperate to play football. All I can do is keep working hard. It'll sort itself out. Hopefully, we can go all the way. "I'm just eager to play football. That's my main ambition. As long as I play for Arsenal I'll give my all." On Charlie Patino, he replied: "Amazing for him. He's got a great future ahead of him."

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