With Arsenal facing somewhat of a shortage in creativity since captain Martin Odegaard’s injury, there have been calls from fans and pundits for Mikel Arteta to start 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri. The teenager has impressed in various cameos so far this campaign, with two starts in the EFL Cup wins against Bolton Wanderers and Preston North End.
With the Norwegian out for over a month now – Mikel isn’t expected to throw him at the far end right away, and Declan Rice and Mikel Merino offering too much of the same skills, questions have been asked as to whether Nwaneri should be given a chance.
What Ethan Nwaneri could bring to the Arsenal XI
A graduate of Arsenal’s famed Hale End academy, Ethan Nwaneri has been on Mikel Arteta’s radar since the Spaniard took over at the club back in 2019. Introduced to him as a promising young prospect back then, Arteta has closely monitored Nwaneri’s progression through the youth ranks.
Given the situation in the senior team and the shortage of creative options, Arteta has used the beginning of this ongoing campaign to give the teenager a taste of first-team action. Nwaneri has made eight appearances across competitions for the Gunners, totalling 230 minutes of action overall. He has also contributed with three goals, all in the EFL Cup as the Gunners have progressed to the quarter-final.
Ethan Nwaneri also made his UEFA Champions League debut with a short cameo in Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat to Inter Milan at the San Siro. He replaced Leandro Trossard in the 82nd minute and played for the remaining eight minutes plus added time.
Despite the duration of his cameo being short and the Gunners finding it hard to break down Inter Milan’s defence, Nwaneri’s display was encouraging. The youngster showed good positional awareness and demanded the ball often, displaying sharp touches and awareness of how to progress it forward.
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Nwaneri’s maturity and technical ability has rightly made fans believe he can make the step up and become a first-team regular this season.
