Arteta must unleash exciting Arsenal "wonderkid" against PSV
Arsenal are enjoying another impressive season so far this year.
The club are still fighting for Premier League supremacy and have taken to the Champions League like a duck to water, already qualifying and topping their group before the final match.
Their guaranteed progression into the next round of the competition gives Mikel Arteta the luxury of rotating his squad for their final group game against PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday evening.
One player who must finally be given his first senior start for the club is the highly-rated Ethan Nwaneri.
#1 Ethan Nwaneri
15 years, 5 months, 28 days
2022: Brentford
#2 Cesc Fabregas
16 years, 5 months, 24 days
2003: Rotherham
#3 Jack Wilshere
16 years, 8 months, 12 days
2008: Blackburn
#4 Jermaine Pennant
16 years, 10 months, 15 days
1999: Middlesbrough
#5 Paul Vaessen
16 years, 11 months, 11 days
1978: Lokomotive Leipzig
#6 Ryan Smith
16 years, 11 months, 18 days
2003: Rotherham
#7 Gedion Zelalem
16 years, 11 months, 29 days
2014: Coventry
#8 Armand Traore
17 years, 16 days
2006: West Brom
Ethan Nwaneri's youth stats for Arsenal
Nwaneri made his senior debut for the club away to Brentford and became the youngest Premier League player in history in the process – 15 years, five months and 28 days – but the overwhelming majority of his performances have come at youth level, for Arsenal.
Described as "unplayable" by Arsenal's U18 coach Jack Wilshere for his impact in a 3-3 draw with Manchester United's U18 side last season, the Hale End prodigy has been wowing his coaches for years, and it is easy to see why.
In his 13 Premier League 2 appearances for the youth side, he has scored four goals and provided two assists, while in the U18 Premier League, he has scored seven goals and provided five assists in 16 appearances.
Matches
13
16
Goals
4
7
Assists
2
5
Goal Involvements per game
0.46
0.75
His most recent impressive feat came in the U18 FA Youth Cup on December 9th, when, in a game against Crewe Alexandria's U18s, he scored five goals – yes, five – as the young Guns ran out 7-1 victors.
If Arteta is looking for a reason to play the youngster, he can't really ask for more than that.
Ethan Nwaneri's youth stats for England
The Gunners' young "wonderkid", as dubbed by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, hasn't just been impressing in the red and white of Arsenal, but he has also been making a name for himself with the England junior sides.
The 16-year-old made his debut for the U16s side on February 12th 2022, in an international friendly against Germany, before going on to make another five appearances for the side before being promoted to the U17s side under Tom Curtis.
Since making the move up, he has made 21 appearances, scored nine goals and provided two assists.
Matches
27
Goals
10
Assists
3
Goal Involvements per Game
0.48
Why Ethan Nwaneri must start vs PSV
Ultimately, Nwaneri's numbers at the youth level should be reason enough for Arteta to play the immensely talented youngster on Tuesday evening, but his ability to play as either a midfielder or on the right-wing means that the Spaniard could rest either Bukayo Saka or Martin Odegaard – two stars essential to his team's success this season.
The "golden" prospect, as described by Jacek Kulig, has played as an attacking midfielder 22 times, a centre forward eight times, and on the wings three times in the last three seasons, giving his manager the ability to add him into the side where he sees fit.
If this game was to decide where the club finished in the group or even to determine if they qualified, not playing Nwaneri would be totally understandable, but with essentially nothing but pride on the line, Arteta has to grab this opportunity to start one of the most exciting youngsters around. If not now, when?