Two reasons why Arteta should trust Nwaneri to start vs Tottenham and five reasons he shouldn’t

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Arsenal are facing a midfield crisis ahead of the North London Derby, and teenager Ethan Nwaneri may now be called into action.

Mikel Arteta may be missing his entire midfield trio of Declan Rice, Mikel Merino and Martin Odegaard through injuries and suspension, and it is unclear how he will proceed in trying to replace them.

He may turn to experienced pair Thomas Partey and Jorginho, but for the creative midfield role, his options are Kai Havertz or Leandro Trossard.

Nwaneri rose up the pecking order after a sensational campaign in pre-season, and it is clear that he is ready for a first-team role soon.

Many are keen on seeing Nwaneri chucked into the deep end against Spurs to replace the injured Odegaard, and whilst there is some merit in this, there are plenty of reasons to be cautious over the youngster.

• READ MORE: Every Arsenal academy player to make their senior debuts under Mikel Arteta

Why Mikel Arteta should trust Ethan Nwaneri to start in North London Derby at Tottenham

Perfect opportunity?

The teenager is now older than Cesc Fabregas was when Arsene Wenger trusted him to replace the injured Patrick Vieira in 2004, and this could be the perfect opportunity for him to make a stunning breakthrough into the team.

Fabregas also started in an away North London Derby at the same age, and provided an assist in an astonishing 5-4 victory, with his quality showing through despite his inexperience.

Tactical advantage

Spurs are expected to play in an intense, attacking style, and Nwaneri could be the ideal fit to help provide extra mobility to help Jorginho and Partey cope in midfield.

The 17-year-old recently shone with the England under-19s, and his dribbling and close control are already top-class despite his lack of experience – two attributes which will otherwise be missing without Odegaard in the team.

Why Arsenal should be cautious over Ethan Nwaneri despite Odegaard injury

Whilst Nwaneri is a tempting pick for Arteta due to his tactical fit and talent, there are several reasons why Arsenal should not rush him into the starting XI against Spurs.

The hostility of the rivalry

The atmosphere at Spurs is hostile for Arsenal, and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was the venue for Arsenal’s biggest defeat in the derby two years ago, as Arteta’s side fell to a 3-0 loss as they struggled to cope with the pressure of the occasion.

Throwing a youngster into a game as intense as an away North London Derby is a huge risk, and despite Fabregas’ success, the potential for the occasion to overwhelm Nwaneri is there.

Arteta wary of past mistake

In fact, throwing youngsters in to start during times of desperation is always risky. When the Arsenal squad was plagued with absences, Arteta started a young Charlie Patino away at Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup, but the talented teenager struggled to settle as his side fell to a 1-0 defeat, and the club will be keen to avoid a repeat with Nwaneri.

Long-term risk

Nwaneri is still at the beginning of his career, and he has been earmarked as a huge talent for the future. Easing him into the team would be less risky than throwing him into such an intense game, and if he struggles against Spurs, it could affect him badly.

Should Nwaneri start, he will hope that he does not make any costly mistakes, as these could destroy his confidence, and ruin his chances of further first-team action.

Tottenham’s intensity

The North London derby is a fierce fixture, which has seen a lot of bad tackles and red cards over the years, with Emmanuel Adebayor’s sending off for a reckless challenge on Santi Cazorla a particularly poor one.

Exposing a teenager to these kinds of tackles, against physical midfielders in Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma, could put Nwaneri at risk of injury, and Arteta will have to bare this in mind if selecting him.

Spurs under Ange Postecoglou play an intense style, and whilst Nwaneri could be useful to combat this, it is equally risky for him as much as it could benefit the team to have his mobility in the middle of the park.

Arsenal have experienced options

Arsenal do have the option of using Trossard or Havertz in midfield with Partey and Jorginho, and whilst this is not ideal, it would be a much more experienced team heading into derby battle.

Should Arteta pick Nwaneri ahead of a more experienced player, there will be increased pressure on him to deliver, whilst a player such as Trossard may be frustrated at the decision, and Arsenal will be keen to avoid unnecessary drama.