Arsenal are facing a mammoth task as they travel to take on Pep Guardiola's Manchester City on Sunday afternoon, and manager Mikel Arteta must be brave by selecting youngster Ethan Nwaneri from the start.
The Gunners have had a strong start to the season so far with three wins from their opening four games in the Premier League and just one goal conceded in the process, and a win in the Champions League away to Athletic Club de Bilbao on Tuesday night means they are rolling into the clash full of momentum.
It cannot be ignored that the only bump in the club's season so far also came on the road against a title rival as the team were beaten 1-0 by Liverpool at Anfield, and that came when skipper Martin Odegaard was unavailable through injury.
The Norwegian has since returned to action, starting in the win over Nottingham Forest, but he was forced off early on with a shoulder injury and after missing the win in Bilbao on Tuesday, he is now a major doubt for the trip to the Etihad too.
Against Liverpool, Arteta went with a more conservative approach and chose to play Mikel Merino alongside Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi. But if he wants to avoid a similar result this time around, then 18-year-old Nwaneri must get the nod.
Arsenal Must Start Nwaneri v Man City as No.10
Ethan Nwaneri
Ethan Nwaneri
During the summer there were some concerns over the future of the Hale End starlet, who has been a regular in the first-team for several seasons now despite his tender age, so he knows exactly what Premier League football is all about already.
While Odegaard is probably better right now for this type of game, Nwaneri has already shown this season that he has attributes that the skipper doesn't. Nwaneri is a fantastic dribbler, excellent in tight spaces, carries the ball up the pitch well and there is an argument that he is a bigger goal threat too.
Merino is someone that Arteta trusts, and has proven that he can score a goal or two too, but technically he isn't the strongest, and the balance of the midfield is far better with a natural playmaker in the side.
There is also an argument for Eberechi Eze to slot into that number ten role and for Gabriel Martinelli to start on the left-wing after his goal after just 36 seconds in the Champions League, but if Nwaneri isn't going to be trusted in this type of situation, then there are going to be big question marks over his development in the coming years.
He signed a new contract at the Emirates Stadium to play regularly and be trusted by the manager, who has described him as "unbelievable" in the past. He has the quality and skill to make a huge difference to the team's midfield, and his inclusion could easily be the difference between Arsenal getting three points against a title rival or not.