Ethan Nwaneri may well be the next big thing at Arsenal.
Ethan Nwaneri played a starring role for Arsenal in their 5-1 demolition of Bolton Wanderers on Wednesday evening.
Mikel Arteta shook up his starting XI for this EFL Cup clash, as he brought a number of players in for their first Arsenal start.
Nwaneri was one such player to make his first start for the North London club against the League One outfit, and stole the show has he bagged a brace of well-taken goals – his first strikes in senior football.
Arsenal fans were impressed with Nwaneri’s performance, and will be expecting big things from the 17-year-old starlet.
Certainly, the teenager is highly rated within the club. However, the rate of Nwaneri’s progress has even surprised Arteta.
Ethan Nwaneri likened to Arsenal star Bukayo Saka
Arsenal have had considerable success with bringing Hale End academy talents through into the first team squad.
The most notable product of the club’s youth system currently strutting his stuff in the first team is Bukayo Saka. The England international winger is a talismanic figure at the Emirates Stadium.
The Telegraph have now highlighted a similarity between Saka and Nwaneri.
The aforementioned report stated: “Nwaneri is especially popular at the club because, sources say, he has always been the grounded type.
“He is by no means the loudest in the dressing room, and he has never acted up despite the hype and his obvious superiority to the vast majority of other academy boys. If anything…he is among the more shy and reserved players.
“As with Saka, Nwaneri is academically diligent: teachers at St John’s School in Enfield have recalled how he quietly handed in his homework the day after making his Arsenal debut at Brentford… The Nwaneri family have never allowed him to fall behind on his studies.”
How Mikel Arteta must handle Nwaneri
Arteta has been understandably cautious when it comes to managing Nwaneri’s development so far.
Despite clamour for Nwaneri to play regularly, the youngster still has just four first team appearances to his name. However, it is vital for him not to be thrust into the limelight too soon.
However, reports of his maturity suggest that he has the right mentality to cope with the pressures and strains that will come with being a fixture in the first team.
On the pitch it is also obvious that Nwaneri is now ready for more regular game time, and Arsenal fans will be hoping that he can continue to follow Saka’s path to stardom.
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