Midfield prodigy Ethan Nwaneri spent every day of his life dreaming about scoring a goal for Arsenal’s senior team, and he has finally provided a stunning brace in their 5-1 win over Bolton Wanderers in the EFL Cup on Wednesday.
The Hale End graduate shined with goals in both halves in his first senior start, with summer signing Raheem Sterling scoring on his debut as well.
17-Year-Old Nwaneri Stars in Arsenal rout
Declan Rice pushed the host ahead with a sublime finish thanks to a clever link-up play between Nwaneri and Josh Nicolas. Myles Lewis-Skelly then released Raheem Sterling on the left flank, whose low cross was turned in by Nwaneri.
The midfielder was involved yet again in the second half. Rice’s crucial intervention allowed the youngster to race through on goal and finish calmly past Southwood. With that strike, he became the first Arsenal player (born after the Emirates stadium was opened) to score a goal at the ground.
After Josh Nichols wasn’t awarded the assist for Declan Rice’s strike… ❌
Ethan Nwaneri (17), is the first Arsenal player, who was born after The Emirates Stadium opened, to get a competitive goal involvement at the ground. ✅ https://t.co/Fro9QrYBNx pic.twitter.com/vI1og6X5am
— DailyAFC (@DailyAFC) September 25, 2024
Sterling scored the fourth later on after pouncing on a loose ball before Kai Havertz slotted the fifth to seal the game.
The fans were chanting, “Ethan Nwaneri, he’s one of our own.” It is a dream come true, an unforgettable night for the highly talented lad. He was amazed by the love shown towards him. As quoted by the club’s official website, the no. 53 said:
“It’s a great feeling when it’s the club you love, the club you’ve grown up with, and the fans are chanting that. It’s surreal. It’s a feeling I’ve wanted to feel for almost 16 years of my life so to actually feel it, it’s crazy and I just want more of it.”
It was a night of milestones for the talented youngsters, with several players getting a chance to impress under Mikel Arteta. The manager started four academy stars: Nwaneri, Nicols, Jack Porter, and Lewis-Skelly.
None of these players were born when Arsenal started playing at the Emirates Stadium in 2006. But Nwaneri was the only one who scored a goal among the four.
🗣️ “It’s a great feeling when the club you love, the club you’ve grown up with and the fans are chanting it.”
Ethan Nwaneri on fans singing “Ethan Nwaneri, he’s one of our own.” 🎶 pic.twitter.com/x3pOdfZsLy
— Connor Humm (@TikiTakaConnor) September 25, 2024
Goalkeeper Jack Porter became the youngest player to start for the club (16 years and 72 days), breaking Cesc Fabregas’ record.
Nwaneri also holds the record for the youngest player to make a debut in the Premier League (15 years and 181 days) when he featured in the 3-0 win over Brentford in September 2022. He was also Arsenal’s youngest ever player to feature for the senior side at 15 years of age.
HOW DID THE MEDIA RATE HIS PERFORMANCE?
The Evening Standard gave him a 9/10 rating, stating that Arsenal have great talent in their hands. They wrote:
“A dream night for the 17-year-old. Two goals on his full debut and he really did not look out of place. What a talent Arsenal have on their hands.”
Meanwhile, Goal.com deemed him the star of the night by giving him a 9/10 rating. They wrote:
“The star of the night. Two goals, one in each half, and a very accomplished all-round performance. A dream night for the 17-year-old on his first Arsenal start.”
It was a routine win for the Gunners, who will now shift their focus to their next Premier League game against Leicester City on Saturday.
