Ethan Nwaneri was afforded a brief cameo for Arsenal against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
Mikel Arteta handed Ethan Nwaneri just his third senior appearance as he threw the Arsenal youngster into the fray late on in the North London Derby.
With 86 minutes on the clock, and the Gunners protecting a 1-0 lead against their fierce local rivals, Bukayo Saka went down injured.
At this late stage in such an important game, Arteta showed huge faith in Nwaneri by sending him on to replace the stricken winger. This faith was rewarded, though, as in just four minutes, plus stoppage time, Nwaneri was able to show his quality.
Saka’s injury is not thought to be serious, but Nwaneri has now shown that he can be called upon in the big moments to step up.
Ethan Nwaneri trusted by Mikel Arteta and Arsenal stars
The 17-year-old is a huge talent, and has long been regarded as an extremely promising prospect within the North London club’s Hale End academy system.
However, the teenager is now well-regarded within the first team picture, too. Senior Arsenal players encouraged Arteta to play Nwaneri at times last season, and against Spurs those on the pitch demonstrated the confidence they have in the youngster.
No one hesitated to hand the England under-19 international the ball against Tottenham, and the fact that Gabriel Jesus instructed Nwaneri to push further forward shows that he is trusted to adapt to new challenges.
MORE ARSENAL STORIES
Nwaneri demonstrated versatility against Tottenham Hotspur
In moving up the pitch, Nwaneri adopted a false nine role and saw plenty of the ball late on in the game.
In these circumstances, he demonstrated great maturity. Recognising the state of the game, he did not become overexcited and try to make a spectacular impact, but rather played with patience, holding up the ball and slowing down the game.
Arteta will have recognised and appreciated this aspect of his performance.
Nwaneri sends message to Arteta
All in all, despite his involvement on derby day being brief, Nwaneri was still able to do enough to demonstrate his readiness for Premier League action.
Arteta must take heed of this and continue to give the youngster opportunities to impress. Nwaneri has vast potential, but he needs game time in order to develop.