"Ethan Nwaneri Shine" — Mikel Arteta Urged to Give Young Star More Premier League Time
Teenage sensation Ethan Nwaneri’s standout performances spark growing calls for Arsenal to give him more opportunities in top competitions.
Arsenal’s young and talented midfielder Ethan Nwaneri is drawing attention with his amazing League Cup performances. After just two starts, the 17-year-old has already scored three goals, and both fans and pundits are eager to see him play more in the Premier League and Champions League. The manager of Arsenal, Mikel Arteta, is currently being pressured by many to give the youth more chance to perform in the Premier League and Champions League.
Nwaneri displayed his skill in these two League Cup matches, scoring goals against Preston North End and Bolton Wanderers. But apart from these games, he has only appeared in four league games for a few minutes each time, always as a late substitute. Despite being on the bench for every Arsenal match in Europe this season, he hasn’t made his debut there yet.
It is evident that both football pundits and Arsenal supporters think Nwaneri deserves to be given more chances. According to Issan Khan of the Daily Mail, Arsenal fans have been asking that Arteta give Nwaneri more playing time because of his admired skills. To express their joy and enthusiasm for the young player’s future, fans even began singing along with him during recent games, yelling, “Ethan Nwaneri, he’s one of our own.”
In 2022, at the age of 15 years and 181 days, Nwaneri made headlines as the youngest player to play in Premier League history. Since his debut against Brentford, fans have been dying to see him play more. But he hasn’t made many appearances. Many people think it’s time for Arteta to give him a regular starting position in the first team after his impressive performances in the most recent League Cup game against Preston.
Fans were reminded by Laura Hunter of Sky Sports that Arsenal has long been aware of Nwaneri’s talent. It is now more difficult for anyone, including Arteta, to ignore him due to his obvious impact on games.
Nwaneri may have the ideal chance to step up since Martin Odegaard, the captain of Arsenal, is now injured. Neil Squires of The Telegraph stated that Arteta may think about giving Nwaneri more Premier League playing time while Odegaard is sidelined. Since joining the team’s youth program at the age of eight, Nwaneri has developed, and Arsenal is obviously aware of his potential.
The Press Association’s Ian Parker added that Nwaneri’s brilliance has long been known by Arsenal. Nwaneri proved in his most recent outstanding performance that he might manage a bigger role in the team, perhaps even in important matches.
The key question at hand is how Arteta will handle Nwaneri’s growth. Everyone agrees that the teen has demonstrated that he is prepared for more. In the Premier League or Champions League, Nwaneri’s career might advance greatly if Arteta chooses to give him more playing time. Fans are hoping that Arteta will provide the opportunity for this bright young talent to establish himself on larger stages for the time being.