Mikel Arteta has included Arsenal academy sensation Ethan Nwaneri in the Gunners’ squad which travelled to face FC Porto ahead of a possible Champions League debut.
The north London outfit return to the last 16 of UEFA’s elite club competition on Wednesday night. Arsenal have not featured in the knockout stages of the Champions League since 2017 and last won in the round of 16 in 2010. They even beat Porto the last time they progressed.
But Arsenal have never won at Porto through their previous three visits after a draw in 2006 and defeats in 2008 and 2010. The Emirates Stadium natives responded to the 2-1 defeat in February 2010 by winning 5-0. Arsenal have never conceded at home to Porto to 11 scored.
Ethan Nwaneri makes Arsenal’s squad travelling to Porto
Yet, along with seeking a historic result, Arteta has chosen to include Arsenal academy star Nwaneri in their travelling squad to visit Porto. Jeorge Bird notes the 16-year-old flew out to Portugal with the rest of the Gunners’ side on Tuesday after also training with the first-team.
Arteta also naming Nwaneri in the matchday squad at the Estadio do Dragao would mark his third inclusion for a Champions League fixture. The England U17 international also made the bench against RC Lens and PSV Eindhoven in the group stage but did not play in the fixtures.
Nwaneri is yet to feature in Europe at the senior level and is also still to feature in an FA Cup or Carabao Cup meeting. But Arteta gave the gifted gem his second Premier League outing as Arsenal beat West Ham United 6-0 this month. Nwaneri featured for the final 13 minutes.
Ethan Nwaneri may now make his Champions League debut
Arteta has only included Nwaneri in three top-flight squads to date but let him make a bit of history as the youngest player in a Premier League match ever as Arsenal beat Brentford 3-0 in September 2022. Nwaneri played as a substitute at 15 years, five months and 28 days old.
Chances to train in the senior squad at London Colney have since been frequent for the Hale End product. Arteta is a huge admirer of Nwaneri and feels the Arsenal wonderkid has some ‘unique’ traits he might now unleash against Porto. He also reminds Arteta of Jack Wilshere.
“There’s something unique that he’s got that I really liked from the beginning,” Arteta said, via Arsenal’s website, in December. “He has the ability to take the ball in tight areas and to escape a little bit like Jack Wilshere used to do.”
Wilshere has also flooded praise at Nwaneri’s feet after some captivating displays with their Under-18s. The cult hero-turned-coach lauded the teen in November 2022 when he saved a 3-3 draw against Manchester United by scoring a brace in their U18 Premier League Cup tie.
“In the first half, he tried to find the spaces, playing in people’s backs and creating space for himself, and we couldn’t find him a little bit,” Wilshere explained, via the Daily Mail. “In the second half, he was very good. He was unplayable at times. He had a few good moments.”
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