Ethan Nwaneri is poised to challenge for a position in the Arsenal starting lineup, and this is not mere speculation; it is a certainty. Once again on Wednesday, I found myself thoroughly impressed by the Hale End Star. Watching the 17-year-old, one cannot help but sense his enchanting presence and the remarkable maturity he possesses for his age.
Back in the summer, the Arsenal academy utility player demonstrated his ability to excel beyond expectations. He delivered impressive performances in preseason matches against Manchester United and Bournemouth. Many Gooners anticipated that he would play a significant role this season. Mikel Arteta made the intriguing decision to allow Fabio Vieira, Emile Smith Rowe (on a permanent exit), and Reiss Nelson to depart during the summer. For many, it was evident that the Spaniard took that decisive step to allow Nwaneri to join his team.
That said, while on international duty with Norway during the September break, Martin Odegaard sustained an injury. Suddenly, there were proposals for Arteta to replace his injured captain with Nwaneri. He chose a different path; the Hale End Star has only made a 17-minute cameo in Odegaard’s absence, which occurred during the 1-0 victory against Spurs.
Even so, on Wednesday, with the Arsenal bench keen to rest their key stars, an opportunity arose for Nwaneri to start his first competitive Arsenal game and demonstrate his abilities. He started against Bolton in that Carabao Cup match and shone as Arsenal triumphed over Bolton with a score of 5-1.
The Academy star delivered an outstanding performance. He demonstrated why many consider him a supernatural talent, showcasing his remarkable ability to perform feats on the pitch that very few can achieve. His decision-making is outstanding, and like Odegaard, he excels at retaining possession of the ball. Nonetheless, he possesses greater potential than the Arsenal captain due to his superior running ability, making him a more significant transitional threat.
In that resounding win over Bolton, where he netted two goals, Nwaneri demonstrated his readiness to rise to the occasion if needed. With his performance, he justified the reasons behind the calls for him to have been the one to fill in for Odegaard in the lineup, as well as why Arteta might consider starting him against Leicester.
Versus Bolton he had:
26/28 passes completed
5 touches in opp. box
3 duels won
3x possession won
2 chances created
2 tackles
2 shots
2 goals
If opportunities arise for him to play, I believe that in a few months, Nwaneri will be a starter in this Arsenal team. The question is, who will he bench?
Jack Anderson
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