Arsenal's Ethan Nwaneri celebrates after scoring their second goal against PSV in the Champions League
Arsenal's Ethan Nwaneri celebrates after scoring their second goal against PSV in the Champions League
Richard Jolly
Today at 03:30
Until Arsenal’s three most recent games, Mikel Merino’s previous start as a striker came before Ethan Nwaneri was born. Then again, quite a bit of even 21st-century Arsenal history occurred before Nwaneri was born: their last league title, their only Champions League final, all but the closing few weeks of Thierry Henry’s first spell as a Gunners player.
Nwaneri has the sort of talent and touch that can make people gush; class can be undefinable, but you know it when you see it. “He is an unbelievable player, I have been saying it for a long time,” said Merino. A long time relatively speaking, of course. Nwaneri does not officially become an adult until later this month; he needs one goal to equal the record share by Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney for the most for a Premier League club before a player turns 18.