Maalik Hashi certainly had a prominent part to play in Arsenal U18s’ 6-4 victory against Brentford yesterday, with the creative midfielder scoring twice and also providing an assist.
That capped off an impressive week for Hashi, who was called up to the first-team squad against Fleetwood Town in midweek.
The 18-year-old, who already has a professional contract, was also named on the bench against Lille recently and it seems clear that he is a player that the first-team coaching staff are monitoring closely.
At a time when some footballers could be accused of being rather one-dimensional, Hashi is anything but, with his flair and dynamism making him very exciting to watch.
While he does lose the ball at times Hashi deserves plaudits for frequently taking risks. He also poses a significant threat from free-kicks and seems to have an extra spring in his step following his recent involvement with the first-team.
Hashi’s progress has been somewhat unconventional in that he has been given callups at some levels before he has fully established himself in other age groups.
For instance, he made his U21s debut against Fulham in January 2025 before he was a regular in the U18s side.
Furthermore, Hashi’s aforementioned senior callups came despite the fact that he isn’t yet a regular starter at U21 level.
It will be intriguing to see how Hashi continues to progress, with a competitive first-team debut now his next target.