Ethan Nwaneri – Arsenal’s new wonderkid
17-year-old midfielder Ethan Nwaneri scored last night for Arsenal to cap an excellent performance as they beat Preston North End 3-0 in the Carabao Cup. It was Nwaneri’s third goal for the club after he scored twice in a 5-1 demolition of League One side Bolton Wanderers in the previous round of the competition.
Nwaneri’s goal last night was Arsenal’s second of the game. He had already come close to scoring on two earlier occasions before Gabriel Jesus opened the scoring in the 23rd minute.
It was in the 32nd minute that Nwaneri doubled Arsenal’s advantage with a sublime goal from 20 yards. Gabriel Jesus laid the ball off to him from the right-hand side of the penalty area and after a touch to steady himself, the 17-year-old curled a shot high into the far corner of the net past Freddie Woodman in the Preston goal.
Kai Havertz later added a third in the 57th minute to complete the victory and Arsenal now face Crystal Palace at home in the Quarter Finals.
Who is Ethan Nwaneri?
Nwaneri became the youngest ever player in the Premier League when he made his debut for the North London club in September 2022. His opportunity came in a game against Brentford when he came on as a last-minute substitute at the tender age of 15 years and 181 days.
The youngster, who only signed his professional contract in March this year, can play as an attacking midfielder as well as out wide or up front.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has given Nwaneri four substitute appearances so far this season and is impressed with the youngster.
“He’s a big talent, he’s got the right attitude and he’s got the right players and context around him” Arteta told BBC Sport. “We need to make sure that we build brick by brick in the right tempo, in the right order, but we have some player there“.
Last season, Nwaneri only played in one game for the first team. He scored ten goals in 13 games for the Arsenal Under 21s team and scored five times in one game in a FA Youth Cup tie against Crewe Alexandra.
He has had more of an active role in the first team this campaign, coming on as a substitute for The Gunners on four occasions in the Premier League. His appearance in the previous round against Bolton Wanderers at the Emirates Stadium is his only start for the club.
With plenty of attacking options at Mikel Arteta’s disposal, Nwaneri’s chances may be limited at present. With the Arsenal fans proudly singing “Ethan Nwaneri, he’s one of our own” last night, it is clear that he is already becoming popular. He is still very young and has plenty of potential and his future is looking very bright indeed.
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