Ethan Nwaneri to decide next Arsenal fixture as Mikel Arteta makes Newcastle decision
Ethan Nwaneri continues to shine for Arsenal and scored an impressive Carabao Cup goal against Preston to leave Mikel Arteta with more pressure over when he will start the teenager
by Scott Trotter · The MirrorEthan Nwaneri will dictate how quickly he is thrust into a Premier League starting lineup according to Mikel Arteta.
The 17-year-old midfielder once again thrived when handed the opportunity in the Carabao Cup against Preston. The youngster overshadowed his teammates when he produced a wondergoal after 33 minutes in a 3-0 victory.
Nwaneri has proven lethal in front of goal in the domestic cup and scored a brace against Bolton earlier in the competition. The Arsenal academy product has yet to make his first Premier League start however, two years on from becoming the division's youngest ever player when he made his debut against Brentford.
Arteta has previously warned for caution in Nwaneri's development and suggested a step by step plan is in place. The Spaniard's latest comments suggest that Nwaneri could yet force the issue however.
“He’s going to really dictate how fast that’s going to go, but I’m really, really happy with him,” Arteta added.
“There’s so much personality there. He wants to impose himself, he wants every ball, he wants to make things happen. Outside around the boy, he’s still a bit quiet, as is usual for a 17-year-old.
“But he’s very respectful, his work ethic is tremendous and he loves what he does, you can tell that. I think he is showing every day what he is capable of. You see his teammates, they are giving him the ball all the time, that’s a great sign. So we have some player there."
Nwaneri's performances have seen an increasing clamour to see the England youth international start. In Martin Odegaard's absence the Gunners have lacked some creativity and threat on goal from midfield.
With Newcastle next in the Premier League, Arteta could not deny his charge's qualities. The north London boss still plans to be careful in building Nwaneri's experience however after just four Premier League appearances this term.
“He did it yesterday in training too, so we’re getting used to that,” the Arsenal coach said, reflecting on Nwaneri's performance against Preston.
“He’s a big talent, he’s got the right attitude, he’s got the right players and context around him and we need to make sure that we put brick by brick in the right tempo, in the right order, but we have some player there.”
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