Kiel's Arp on scoring first Bundesliga goal in seven years: "I had a gut feeling."
It took nearly seven years for former FC Bayern München academy man Jan-Fiete Arp to score his third Bundesliga goal. Before joining the FCB system, the 24-year-old netted two top flight tallies in a HSV tricot. Arp scored against Hertha and Stuttgart on match-days 10 and 11 of the 2017/18 campaign.
In a quintessential case of some things being worth the wait, Arp finally netted his third in Holstein Kiel's surprise 2-2 draw with defending Bundesliga champions Bayer 04 Leverkusen yesterday afternoon. Arp's 69th-minute conversion from the penalty spot ended up serving as the crucial equalizer.
Arp - who came on at the half for his sixth consecutive substitute appearance in the top flight this season - later revealed that he held a conversation with teammate and fellow half-time substitute Benedikt Pilcher prior to taking the penalty.
"I had a gut feeling as soon as the whistle blew that I could score," Arp told the Sky microphones, "It was a gut feeling. I'm grateful that Benni Pilcher told me I could take it. Thank God it worked out."
"If one keeps it close for a long time, a small miracle can occur," Arp noted when discussing the match in general, "That's what happened here. We held onto the belief that we could close in and that's what we did."
