Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has explained his decision to start 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri in the Gunners’ 3-1 victory over Brentford on Wednesday night at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Nwaneri, who replaced the injured Bukayo Saka, started on the right wing and played for 78 minutes before being substituted for Leandro Trossard.
During his time on the pitch, Nwaneri showcased his impressive skills, intelligence, and composure, providing a pinpoint cross into the box and constantly threatening Brentford’s defense.
Arteta was full of praise for the young talent’s performance post-match, highlighting his courage and determination in a challenging Premier League match.
“The roles are there and with a 17-year-old boy on the pitch, which is nice to see, he played with courage and determination,” Arteta said.
The Spanish manager further emphasized that Nwaneri’s qualities made him the best option to fill in for Saka. Arteta explained that the decision wasn’t influenced by illness within the team but was based purely on Nwaneri’s readiness and ability to step up.
“It wasn’t about the virus in the team. It was a decision we made because I thought he was the best player to play that role and start, also because there was a story behind his debut here. He made his Premier League debut and sometimes that feeling tells you it’s the right time, who knows?” Arteta added.
Reflecting on Nwaneri’s development since his debut in 2022, Arteta spoke about the importance of patience and managing expectations in a young player’s growth.
“Part of that development is patience, managing frustration or expectations. Sometimes you expect everything to go very quickly, as if things happen automatically, but that’s not the case. We’re building his path, he’s already played a lot of games and a lot of minutes for his age and he fully deserves it,” Arteta concluded.
