Ethan Nwaneri made a bit of Arsenal history by scoring at Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, yet one thing that happened to the midfielder irritated many Gunners fans.
Manager Mikel Arteta put his trust in Nwaneri once again after Bukayo Saka’s surgery for his hamstring injury as Arsenal visited Brighton. The Gunners will be without their vital forward for months, but are enjoying the rise of another wonderkid from Hale End in Saka’s absence.
Nwaneri has now started in back-to-back Premier League matches for the first time after the 17-year-old got the call at Brighton, having also opened a top-flight game for the first time at Brentford on New Year’s Day. He would also repay Arteta by putting the Gunners in the lead.
Arsenal fans rage at the Gunners’ time wasting after Ethan Nwaneri’s booking at Brighton
But Arteta would substitute Nwaneri at half-time with Gabriel Martinelli introduced after he received a yellow card during the first minute of first-half stoppage time of Arsenal’s visit to Brighton. Referee Anthony Taylor booked Nwaneri over time wasting before taking a corner.
Time wasting has become a persistent part of the Gunners’ game under Arteta with Arsenal often delaying the restart of their fixtures at goal kicks, throw-ins and set-pieces. Taylor had also already urged Arsenal to stop wasting time before he booked Nwaneri against Brighton.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Arsenal wonderkid Ethan Nwaneri
Taylor was not alone in becoming irritated by Arsenal’s time wasting at Brighton which led to Nwaneri’s yellow card, too, as a lot of Gunners fans shared their annoyance on social media. One supporter noted: “This is a habit now, yet we keep inviting referees to book us… Why?”
Another fan also shared, “We’ve been asking for it,” after Taylor booked Nwaneri for wasting time. A further supporter noted: “I really don’t know why we do it. The thing frustrates even we, the fans.” One Arsenal fan even urged: “Hurry up and take the throw-ins and corners.”
One Arsenal supporter also said: “Not a fan of getting yellows for time wasting, especially on the road. Invites disaster, incites the crowd and puts them at the mercy of the ref. Have we not learned the latter is a bad idea?”
Nwaneri’s yellow card for time wasting at Brighton saw many Arsenal fans urge Arteta to get the Gunners resuming play faster. One fan said: “We keep picking up bookings for taking too long, we don’t seem to learn,” and another noted: “Lucky to only receive one in that half.”
Ethan Nwaneri made Arsenal history by scoring at Brighton
Nwaneri broke the deadlock at Brighton in the 16th minute as the Arsenal academy product punished Jan Paul van Hecke for hesitating whilst he charged in from the wing. The space he left Nwaneri allowed the midfielder to put his shot where Bart Verbruggen would not reach.
The teenager netting at Brighton also saw history made as Nwaneri is the first Arsenal player to score multiple Premier League goals before turning 18. It was a record that the midfielder had just 76 days left to realise, too, as Nwaneri will celebrate his 18th birthday on March 21.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
