Ethan Nwaneri dealt brutal reality check after what Mikel Arteta did during Arsenal vs Crystal Palace

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Ethan Nwaneri has been the talk of the town at Arsenal for a few months now.

The 17-year-old is one of the finest talents in Europe. He is an exceptional player and has impressed everyone on multiple occasions this season.

Nwaneri started for Arsenal against Crystal Palace in the quarter-final of the EFL Cup on Wednesday night. The teenager, like most of his teammates, struggled to get going in the first-half.

That forced Mikel Arteta to make a big decision at half-time.

What Mikel Arteta did to Ethan Nwaneri at half-time of Arsenal vs Crystal Palace

Nwaneri had been Arsenal’s best player in the EFL Cup ahead of the quarter-final.

The teenager had started two games for the Gunners in the competition and had scored three goals – one against Preston and two against Bolton.

We’re sure the Hale End star would’ve loved to continue that good run against Crystal Palace at the Emirates, but it wasn’t an easy first half.

Nwaneri tried really hard to make things happen, but he failed to create a chance. That’s not his fault at all, but he still paid the price.

Arteta decided he had seen enough at half-time and decided to bring Nwaneri off. Skipper Martin Odegaard came on and changed the game for Arsenal in the second half.

This must have been a bit of a reality check for Nwaneri – getting replaced at half-time when your team is losing is not a great feeling for any player, especially an attacker.

However, as brutal as it must have been, we’re sure this will make Nwaneri a lot stronger.

Ethan Nwaneri vs Martin Odegaard’s stats vs Crystal Palace

Nwaneri seemed like one of the few Arsenal players who could make something happen in the first half, but he couldn’t break Palace down.

Odegaard was brought on at the break, and the Norwegian instantly changed the game. He bossed the proceedings and was on another level to most players on the pitch.

Nwaneri wasn’t bad by any means, but Odegaard’s numbers show that Arteta was right to bring on the Norwegian for the second half.

The Arsenal captain was excellent, and we hope the performance against Palace will help him return to his best in the Premier League as well.

As for Nwaneri, he will get many more opportunities in the coming months, and we’re convinced he will have a big impact at Arsenal.