Mikel Arteta faced with a big decision from Ethan Nwaneri, with the player struggling for the most minutes this season as Arsenal continue to strengthen their squad
In the pre-season, young stars are given opportunities they otherwise would not have due to the nature of competitive matches. Mikel Arteta looks forward to extending this opportunity to some of the most exciting starlets in Hale End’s current crop.
In Germany, Arteta loaned minutes to Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Reuell Walters. All three had impressive moments, but Nwaneri stood out for his precise control, skill and confident progressive play.
The 16-year-old certainly looked no more than half the age of Cedric Soares, who came on at half-time. The Hale Ender took the ball quickly, demanding possession and trying to impress his coach.
Meanwhile, the first half saw Fabio Vieira replace the injured Martin Odegaard. The Norwegian is not expected to suffer serious injuries, although he could potentially miss other pre-season matches if he doesn’t recover for next Thursday’s MLS All-Stars match.
Vieira had a mixed showing. He showed some good touches and created a few chances, but he also squandered a great chance from a free kick and struggled to influence the game in any meaningful way as his opponent Odegaard has over the last two seasons and hasn’t gotten too much praise from anyone watched.
This creates an interesting dynamic between a player like Vieira and young star Nwaneri. Given the minutes on offer, who should be given priority to get playing time?
It might seem obvious that a player who has cost the club £34m is inclined to be first choice. It was a sizeable investment to sign Arteta, but so far the Portuguese youth international has yet to justify such a fee.
Meanwhile, Nwaneri has players like Cesc Fabregas, Jack Wilshere and Bukayo Saka to look at as examples who have had plenty of time to play before their 18th birthdays. If Nwaneri is indeed as good as the club thinks it would be no surprise to see him concede more competitive playing time.
Keep in mind that Saka ousted record-breaking Nicolas Pepe from the right wing despite huge investment in the Ivorian. A high salary does not guarantee a place, and Nwaneri will try to follow in the footsteps of those who preceded him.
