Ethan Nwaneri appears to be establishing himself as the next big thing from Hale End.
In a game against West Ham, where many expected his academy colleague Amario Cozier-Duberry to make his debut, he was introduced as a 77th-minute substitute, replacing Gabriel Martinelli.
Mikel Arteta confessed, via Arsenal.com, that his players were so convinced of Nwaneri’s quality that they were compelled to introduce him: “There is something that you have to do in your team, and that is the trust of the teammates. And I had two things: one, the players on the bench whispering to bring Ethan on, which is a great thing to hear.”
After making several appearances on the Arsenal bench this season, Mikel Arteta opted to give Nwaneri an opportunity in the London Derby.
Despite being introduced late in the game, the teenager produced a series of exquisite touches and silky dribbles that had the buoyant away end cooing with delight.
He finished the game with an 83% pass completion rate, won two of his three defensive duels, and had 20 touches. His impressive performance in the limited time indicates how motivated he is to break into the Arsenal lineup. Mikel Arteta also praised Nwaneri’s performance against the Hammers: “And the other one, your teammates want to give you the ball all of the time. If they do that, it’s because they really trust you, and you can only have to see how many times he was involved in that. So it was a great sign.”
I don’t know about you, but I have high hopes for Ethan Nwaneri, he seems to be expected to be the next big thing coming out from Hale End.
Sam P
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