Martin Odegaard could benefit from taking one part of Ethan Nwaneri’s playing style and making it his own at Arsenal.
Nwaneri is likely to leave Arsenal on loan in January, which would be the correct decision as the 18-year-old needs game time.
Mikel Arteta has been so impressed with Nwaneri despite his decreased exposure this season, having played just 165 minutes in the Premier League since matchday one.
Allowing the teen to go on loan would reduce the talent in Arsenal’s squad; however, it’s imperative that a talent of his level gets the minutes he deserves.
You’re Ethan Nwaneri, which league are you choosing to go on loan to in January and why?
Myles Lewis-Skelly loves how much Ethan Nwaneri likes to shoot
Having signed a new contract at Arsenal, Nwaneri will always have a place to return to in N5, particularly as he possesses a skill that not every player has in their locker: shooting.
Interestingly, it was Myles Lewis-Skelly who honed in on how good a shooter Nwaneri is when speaking on a video for the FA Cup’s YouTube channel.
“This is Ethan down to a tee. You know, this is his instinct around the goal,” Lewis-Skelly said.
“When he gets the opportunity to shoot, he’ll never turn that down. So that’s one thing that I respect about him.”
It doesn’t take Lewis-Skelly’s comment to realise how instinctive Nwaneri is around the box, as Arsenal saw it last season when he scored nine goals in his debut senior campaign.
Having an attacking midfielder who likes to shoot is a tool every squad should have, which makes Arteta’s pecking order in the position all the more interesting.
Nwaneri might be at the bottom of Arteta’s list in the number 10 role, but he possesses a quality that Martin Odegaard could take inspiration from.
Martin Odegaard needs to copy Ethan Nwaneri and shoot more
One thing that stands out in the number 10 role discussion, the Eberechi Eze and Odegaard debate in particular, is how much more of a threat the Englishman is in front of goal.
Eze’s hat-trick against Tottenham was scored because he showed no fear in shooting, something Arsenal fans would love to see from the skipper.
Eberechi Eze’s North London Derby hat-trick
The Norwegian averages just one shot on goal per game in the Premier League this season, as per Sofascore, with Eze’s average being much higher at 2.1 per game.
Arteta has two number 10s in his ranks who love to shoot, Nwaneri and Eze, and one who doesn’t nearly half as much as he should.
If Odegaard could revive his goalscoring form of the 2022/23 season, there would be no debate about who should be starting in the competitive position.
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