On a day when Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka combined with dazzling synergy to lift Arsenal out of their slumbers, it would take something remarkable to upstage Arsenal’s established captain and starboy. Enter Ethan Nwaneri stage left.
Immediately he rampaged forward, leaving defenders in his wake, and whipped in what is already a trademark curling finish. “Ethan comes in — whoosh! It lifts the crowd,” remarked Mikel Arteta. He is well aware of the impression this youngster already has on the expectant fanbase. The latest of his captivating cameos was then marked by a first Premier League goal. Nwaneri cantered into space, sent a perfectly weighted pass wide to Raheem Sterling, and with his positioning asked for a return which he confidently clipped in. Arsenal’s senior players have no qualms at all about giving him the ball, because in ability and attitude he has gained their absolute respect and trust.
The bonus about Nwaneri is that he has the ideal character to match his talent — his celebration was nonchalant — a hug for Sterling, an understated fist pump, a hint of a smile. Nothing over the top, now. Scoring in the Premier League seemed a completely normal turn of events for him.
This season he has scored in every game he has started for club and country (six in six for England’s under-19s and three in two for Arsenal in the Carabao Cup). He has made his Champions League debut, come on as a sub in matches as competitive as Tottenham and Newcastle away, Liverpool at home, and now he has become Arsenal’s second youngest Premier League scorer of all time, just behind Cesc Fabregas. It is too compelling to resist.
There was something fitting about Nwaneri coming on in place of Odegaard. If any Arsenal player can fully comprehend Nwaneri’s situation it is Odegaard. Something they share is that they both made their professional debut at 15 years of age. The position that Nwaneri currently holds in his club’s eyes is something Odegaard can relate to from personal experience.
Nwaneri and Odegaard both made their first professional appearances aged 15 (Photo: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
The intensity of spotlight is unusual for the most prodigious teenagers. The dilemma between hunger and excitement and readiness to play at the highest level on one hand, and the need for protection and caution to take things steadily on the other, is complicated. Of course a young talent has every right to feel they can handle everything. But it is seldom a totally smooth ride. Having Odegaard on hand for guidance, both positionally and psychologically, is very useful.
What is obvious is that the clamour for Nwaneri to be involved at every opportunity for Arsenal is becoming understandably raucous.
Arteta is obliged to look at the whole picture, and the broader context, and he sees it as his job to manage Nwaneri’s evolution in the best way possible. “I am responsible to build a career for him,” he says. “You have to do that brick by brick. Today he put another brick. Now we have to put some cement, make sure it doesn’t get dry so we can put another one and that will stick. Then we put one more layer, one more layer. If you want to put five bricks in a row believe me it won’t work. We have to manage not only his expectation but his load as well, which is really important.”
It is an ever changing scenario. This wall of Nwaneri bricks could be constructed like a man on a mission or a builder who loves a long tea break. There is no rule book. There are contrasting examples in recent memory between, say, the way Phil Foden was held back, or the way Jude Bellingham was advanced and pushed on.
Nwaneri came on against Forest and played with the kind of intelligence and positivity that suggests he is developed enough to easily justify his opportunities in almost any situation.
Was Arteta not tempted to play Nwaneri when Odegaard was out? “I’m always tempted,” he mused. “He’s giving us all the reasons to play, another reason to put him there. That’s why I play him and not somebody else.” That is moot. Managers often select older players because of the knock-on-the-door factor. Traditionally, an experienced player would always be more likely to seek out their boss for an explanation or a complaint if they don’t get minutes or are further down the hierarchy than they expect. Young players tend not to have the confidence to do that. So it is not unusual for a manager to take the path of least resistance and play an older head rather than a younger heart. Nwaneri is challenging that theory.
It is funny to recall that Arteta was criticised in some quarters when he gave Nwaneri his debut against Brentford aged 15. It seemed to come out of nowhere. Some people wondered if it was a gimmick. There were reasons for accelerating his development. At the time it was not certain he would sign a professional contract and the environment around the best youngsters means other clubs are always lurking, keen to turn a head their way. The departure of Chido Obi-Martin to Manchester United shows what can happen. But there was substance behind the decision to play Nwaneri back then because his talent merited special treatment. It is notable, therefore, that 14-year-old Max Dowman, the next super-talent from the academy, is now training on occasion with the first team.
Nwaneri has earned the respect of his senior team-mates (Photo: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Nwaneri spent the first half against Forest on the bench and that should have been an education. Watch and learn from the best — see how Odegaard commands space, bends it to his will, observe how Saka chooses how to torment his markers, and when to dribble, pass or release the trigger. The combination play between the two was so elevated, the wavelength so in tune, it is critical if Arsenal are to make superior strides this season that they both stay fit.
Odegaard was the conductor with a ball instead of a baton. His return to the team has switched the ignition back on and the motor is running smoothly again. His presence made every other player around him better.
It has come at a time when Arsenal dearly needed a reboot. It is as if the past couple of weeks, a break to reset and get some players back, has cleared some viruses out of the system. There was a collective sharpness and hunger that was in contrast to some of the more mundane performances when Arsenal suffered a dip in form. The positive signs are re-emerging.
“I sensed a great togetherness and desire to change the situation and what has been a different period for us,” Arteta said. “What happened is that instead of 12, 13 players we trained with 19. That hasn’t happened in six weeks. Suddenly you are like, ‘Wow’. Competitiveness raises the level, the quality, the understanding. Everything rises. That’s what we need.”
Now what they need is to use this comprehensive performance as a new platform to go on a run and see where they can end up.
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