Mikel Arteta must answer Ethan Nwaneri call if Arsenal want to lift the Premier League title

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Throughout the years, Arsenal have been gifted with fantastic players coming through the Hale End academy.

Whether it’s a club mainstay like Bukayo Saka or a now-departed talent such as Emile Smith Rowe at Fulham, the past decade has been fairly kind for the Gunners in terms of youth intake.

Now, a new diamond is emerging. 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri has already worked his way into the first team, making 11 appearances and having started twice – both times in the EFL Cup.

The youngster has scored four times this season, with goals against Bolton Wanderers and Preston North End in the EFL Cup. Nwaneri scored his first-ever Premier League goal against Nottingham Forest in late November.

Despite this, Nwaneri has managed only 97 minutes in the Premier League, and with Arsenal’s lack of depth in midfield, should surely be merited more game time.

Mikel Arteta is ‘tempted’ to start Nwaneri

Speaking to the Press Association last week, Mikel Arteta was very clear on his appreciation of Nwaneri and his ability.

“I am always tempted [to start Nwaneri] – I think he’s the second-youngest player for the club to score in the Premier League.

“[He’s] giving us all the reasons and this is another reason to put him there… It’s step-by-step, I would say.

“Something I cannot do myself is manage expectations. I will try to educate him, raise him and give him the pathway that we believe is the best.

“His family, his agent, his friends, they will be very important as well. Don’t listen too much to the noise, focus on what he does which is to play football and he loves every minute of it and good things will happen to him for sure.”

It is not just Arteta who has belief in the midfielder – it seems like the whole club does. After the Gunners’ 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest which saw the 17-year-old score his first league goal, Arsenal players and staff congratulated Nwaneri in training.

What should Arteta do to accommodate Nwaneri?

With the return of Martin Ødegaard to the right-hand side of Arsenal’s midfield, a creative outlet alongside him could be vital to the free-flowing football so many Gooners want to see.

Cries have been made on X (formerly Twitter) to start Nwaneri in the other central midfield spot, with one fan responding to an Arsenal tweet with “How hard is it to start Ethan Nwaneri?”

There is also an argument for Thomas Partey to be replaced in the defensive midfield position and for Declan Rice to play there instead, opening up a spot for Nwaneri to potentially start in.

With Arsenal’s next two Premier League fixtures coming against top-half sides in Manchester United and Fulham, starting Nwaneri in these matchups might be too aggressive of a move. But the next three games – Crystal Palace, Brentford, Ipswich – could offer the perfect opportunity to see Nwaneri in the starting 11. And, by all accounts, he deserves it.