What Mikel Arteta was ‘animatedly’ instructing Ethan Nwaneri to do in Arsenal’s Champions League clash

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Ethan Nwaneri was spotted receiving strict instructions from Mikel Arteta during Arsenal’s Champions League meeting with Slavia Prague.

Arteta was impressed with Nwaneri’s performance against Brighton, making it unsurprising to see the teenager earn a rare start when rotation was actioned.

The Arsenal manager made several changes to his favoured XI to face Slavia Prague, with Nwaneri replacing Eberechi Eze in attacking midfield.

It was a tough start to the game for the Gunners, as Champions League away days often are, leading Arteta to demand Nwaneri to make one change to his approach. 

• READ MORE: Arsenal can now match 122-year record on Tuesday against Slavia Prague

Mikel Arteta wanted Ethan Nwaneri to change one thing against Slavia Prague

Arsenal fans have wanted Nwaneri to feature more, as the 18-year-old has seen his minutes reduce quite significantly so far this term.

Against Slavia, the Englishman got his chance, but it didn’t take long for the teenager to receive feedback from his boss.

As BBC Sport reporter Alex Howell relayed, Arteta was seen to act ‘animatedly’ towards Nwaneri in a plea to correct his ‘body position’. 

“Mikel Arteta is animatedly giving instructions to Ethan Nwaneri about his body position,” Howell reported.

The manager saw an area that required a tweak and ensured that his player understood his demand in order to better influence the game.

Nwaneri’s record in the Champions League 

Nwaneri has had to be patient to earn minutes this season, but with Eze rested and Martin Odegaard injured, Arteta was able to let the Hale End product off the leash.

With a perfect Champions League record to maintain, Arteta showed how highly he rates Nwaneri by handing the teen his first start in the tournament this season.

Though the 18-year-old had only played 17 minutes in the 2025/26 Champions League before Tuesday night, his ability to perform in the competition was made clear last season. 

Nwaneri was trusted with seven appearances in the 2024/25 Champions League, where he contributed to two goals, scoring against Girona in the league phase and PSV Eindhoven in the round of 16.

It was a testing start for Arsenal and Nwaneri in Prague, as the hosts certainly didn’t shy away from the challenge of facing the Premier League leaders.