Mikel Arteta has said Ethan Nwaneri is ‘playing without pressure’ after scoring his first goals for Arsenal.
The 17-year-old scored a brace to open his account for the Gunners, as Arsenal thrashed Bolton Wanderers 5-1 to reach the Carabao Cup’s fourth round.
It was an unforgettable moment for Nwaneri, who hit the headlines after becoming the youngest player in top-flight history when making his Arsenal debut against Brentford in September 2022, aged 15 years and 181 days.
Nwaneri impressed during the club’s pre-season tour and strengthened his case for more regular involvement with a well-taken brace against Bolton on Wednesday night.
Arteta says the teenager is playing without fear and has earned the respect of the senior dressing room.
“He’s improving daily,” Arteta said at his post-match press conference.
“They really respect him. You can tell he’s playing without pressure, with confidence, with a way of making decisions that tells you that the boy is ready at this level. Today he had a really strong performance and I’m happy to see that.
“A lot of positives to take from it, first of all the performance and then the way we scored the goals. We gave minutes, deserved minutes to a lot of first team players that needed them. As well we had obviously very important debuts as well that make us really proud.”
Nwaneri buzzing to score first Arsenal goals
Nwaneri said he was ‘buzzing’ to score his first goals in the senior side and said hearing the Emirates chant his name was a ‘great feeling’
“I’m buzzing,” he said. “I’m so happy to have helped the team go through to the next round and just ready for whatever’s next.
“It’s a great feeling when the club you love, the club you’ve grown up with the fans are chanting that. It’s a surreal feeling. It’s a feeling I’ve wanted to feel for almost 16 years of my life so to actually feel it, it’s crazy… just want more of it.
“All them players that I’ve played with since I’ve been like 9 and now we’re on the big pitch together, it’s a crazy feeling. You know, it’s good.”
