Ethan Nwaneri has made the 2024/25 season his own, rising from Hale End to become a regular starter.
If there’s any positives to come from Arsenal’s dire injury record this campaign, it’s the emergence of Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly.
The pair were used sporadically at the start of the season; however, when injury struck Arsenal’s attack, Mikel Arteta found himself frequently calling on the academy stars.
Nwaneri is now rubbing shoulders with some of Europe’s best, shining as the Gunners’ replacement for Bukayo Saka on the right flank.
Martin Odegaard must be dropped for Ethan Nwaneri
Before this season, the majority would identify Nwaneri as an attacking midfielder, but now, the teen has proven that he can do it all.
The Englishman’s favoured role remains in the number ten zone, a position inhabited by Martin Odegaard.
Arteta is set to have a problem to solve when it comes to Nwaneri, as now that Saka has returned, there will be a debate regarding where the 18-year-old fits in.
Given that the Hale End graduate caught Arteta’s eye as a number ten, there could be an argument for Nwaneri to omit Odegaard from the starting XI.
The right wing spot is Saka’s to dominate, leaving Nwaneri as either a second choice to the 23-year-old or, as a player to compete with Odegaard for game time.
Just like Saka’s injury came at the ideal time for Nwaneri to show his worth, Odegaard’s poor form this season could pave the way for the starlet to start.
After Arsenal’s win against Fulham, fans took aim at Odegaard for his lack of sparkle in midfield, a problem that’s been prominent for the Norwegian for the majority of the campaign.
Mikel Arteta has dropped some big names before
From an outsider’s point of view, dropping a player of Odegaard’s calibre for a teenager seems unlikely, but it’s a decision that Arteta could sanction.
The Arsenal manager isn’t afraid to cut off big names at the Emirates, as seen by Arteta’s exile of Mesut Ozil and then the boss’s disagreement with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Though Odegaard hasn’t caused some unrest in the dressing room, Arteta could still be tempted to rotate his captain, staying consistent with regard to his ruthlessness in the past.
Nwaneri’s rise is non-negotiable at present, meaning that the player isn’t one for the bench or one to be played here and there; the teen is very much a talent for now.
Odegaard, on the other hand, isn’t performing and has shown little sign of turning things around, with competition being the possible solution to his woes.
Arteta would have a lot of questions to answer if he were to axe Odegaard to give Nwaneri a chance in central midfield, but it might just work out for all involved.
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