Arsenal now leapfrog Man Utd in impressive ranking, only one Premier League team is better

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Arsenal’s youth academy is thriving, with several players now in and around the first team after making their way up the ranks.

Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly are now gaining more first-team exposure after impressing at under-21 level, and both teenagers have been tipped as big prospects for the future.

This comes after Mikel Arteta drew criticism for his perceived treatment of Hale End products, as Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah departed the club in the summer transfer window after falling down the pecking order.

However, Hale End has arguably never been better, with young sensation Max Dowman also making waves as one of the country’s brightest prospects, and Arsenal are now seen as one of the best clubs in England for youth development.

• READ MORE: Every Arsenal academy player to make their senior debuts under Mikel Arteta

Arsenal overtake Manchester United in academy rankings

A report from Training Ground Guru has revealed a ranking system for club academies across the country, based upon several factors.

The rankings are based upon appearances made by academy graduates in Europe’s top five leagues to generate an overall point score, and Chelsea have retained their place at number one.

The likes of Tammy Abraham, Tino Livramento and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are playing for teams competing at the highest levels, after progressing through their academy.

Arsenal have now overtaken Manchester United to rank second, with United dropping to third based upon the last two years, showing that the strength of the Hale End Academy is now being recognised.

Arsenal youth graduates appearing in Europe’s top five leagues

Smith Rowe, and Reiss Nelson have joined Alex Iwobi at Fulham, whilst Nketiah is impressing for Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

Stephy Mavididi is also performing well for Leicester City, whilst Folarin Balogun moved to Ligue 1 side AS Monaco last year.

Yunus Musah is currently playing for AC Milan after several strong years at Valencia, and Nathan Tella is a Bundesliga champion with Bayer Leverkusen.

Even if these academy talents did not make it at Arsenal, the club is developing players who can have successful careers at top clubs across the continent.