ARSENE WENGER LIKENS 'SPECIAL TALENT' ETHAN NWANERI TO EX-ARSENAL STAR

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says Mikel Arteta has a ‘special talent’ on his hands in Ethan Nwaneri, comparing the teenager’s mentality to that of a young Cesc Fabregas.

Nwaneri, 17, has burst onto the scene at Arsenal this season and established himself as one of the finest young talents in European football, alongside fellow Hale End academy product Myles Lewis-Skelly, 18.

The pair have quickly asserted themselves as first-team regulars under Arteta and both are being tipped for possible call-ups in Thomas Tuchel’s first England squad despite their tender years.

Nwaneri stepped up following Kai Havertz’s season-ending injury last weekend, starting in a new-look attack alongside Leandro Trossard and Raheem Sterling, to help inspire the north London giants to victory over Leicester in the Premier League.

Second-half substitute Mikel Merino scored both goals in the Gunners’ nervy 2-0 win but Nwaneri ran the show throughout and deservedly came away from the King Power Stadium with the man-of-the-match award.

After keeping a close eye on Nwaneri’s early showings, Wenger is convinced his former club have unearthed a gem akin to Fabregas – whose record he broke in 2022 when he became Arsenal’s youngest ever player.

On the similarities between Nwaneri and a young Fabregas, Wenger told beIN SPORTS: ‘Nwaneri is more a creator of the final ball through his dribbling and the quality of his passes.

‘Fabregas was very strong mentally but this boy looks like he is as well.

‘When I look at him and his maturity, it’s difficult for me to think that he’s 17 years old.

‘The sign of a special talent is that they are ready early.’

Wenger admits he has been ‘praying’ for a Liverpool collapse in the Premier League but believes the Merseyside outfit are the ‘super-favourites’ to win the title in Arne Slot’s debut season as manager.

‘It’s simple, they need to lose games. But now there are 25 games played and Liverpool lost one,’ the Frenchman added.

‘So they have to lose three, at least, in the next 13 games.

‘At the moment it looks unlikely unless they collapse but until now they lost only one game.

‘They are the super-favourites and, on top of that, Arsenal have to make the perfect run.

‘I pray, I pray! But I have to improve the quality of my praying.’

While Wenger sees the mentality of a young Fabregas in Nwaneri, Joe Cole went as far as likening the England Under-19 international to the great Lionel Messi during Arsenal’s defeat of Leicester.

‘I love him. You know what, he’s a strong little thing as well, you can’t mark him because he can go both ways,’ the ex-Chelsea and England winger said on TNT Sports.

‘These touches he produces in and around the box, I don’t really want to say it but it’s like Messi.

‘I don’t want to put any more pressure on the kid’s shoulders but the touches he makes as he receives the ball on the back foot and then that little touch…

‘He plays with such confidence but he’s just a beautiful player.’

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

2025-02-18T09:21:18Z