Ethan Nwaneri will undoubtedly be the focus of most Gooners during Arsenal’s pre-season tour of the United States as he prepares for the next season.
Nwaneri is destined for greatness, which was clear when he became the Premier League’s youngest debutant and appeared in Arsenal’s 3-0 victory over Brentford in September 2022 at the age of 15 years and 181 days.
Since then, the midfielder has remained a peripheral player at the club. However, in the months, weeks, and days leading up to the new season, there has been a lot of buzz surrounding the Arsenal prodigy.
Rumour has it that head coach Mikel Arteta will fully integrate Nwaneri into the Arsenal senior men’s team next season, and despite his rough diamond status, he will start to polish into the diamond he deserves to be. Therefore, in preparation for the crucial 2024–25 season, Nwaneri needed to demonstrate his readiness for a more significant role during the pre-season this summer.
Fortunately, in Arsenal’s first game of the pre-season (Arsenal versus Bournemouth), Nwaneri played as if his life depended on it.
Statistics do not lie: he was impressive:
• 89% passing accuracy rate (31/35)
• 2 chances created (highest)
• 2 successful dribbles
• 100% accurate tackle rate (2/2)
• Winning 6 duels
The game finished 1-1 (Fabio Vieira for Arsenal and Anthony Semenyo for Bournemouth), with Arsenal winning 5-4 on penalties. One significant aspect of the match is that it bolstered most Gooners’ confidence in Ethan Nwaneri’s growth. The Hale End star delivered a genuinely mature performance against Bournemouth. I hope he continues to soar.
Should Arteta promote Nwaneri to the first team this season or is it still a little early in his development?
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2024-07-26T15:39:47Z dg43tfdfdgfd