What Ethan Nwaneri’s pre-season reveals about his readiness for Arsenal’s first team
By Art de Roché
Pre-season is a time to assess young prospects who are given precious first-team minutes ahead of a new season.
Arsenal’s last couple of US tours have only seen flashes of youth, but opportunities to play have come this summer and Ethan Nwanerihas taken the opportunity to impress. The 17-year-old academy talent, who is signed to a professional contract, played 84 minutes against Bournemouthand drove Arsenal forward from midfield.
He was then given the first 45 minutes against Manchester United, standing out again with how well he moved the ball in build-up and the final third. The England Under-17 international assisted Gabriel Jesus’ equaliser, but considering United’s strong start, it was also an opportunity to see him in more defensive scenarios than usual.
Nwaneri has been on the mainstream radar since his Arsenal debut aged 15 against Brentfordin September 2022, which made him the youngest player in Premier League history. People at Arsenal and Englandknew his ability way before then, but the two years since have been about preparing him for the first team.
He had made his Arsenal Under-21s debut just two weeks before his first-team debut and went on to play 11 games for them and 15 for the under-18s in 2022-23. He was used as a No 10, a left-sided No 8, a centre-forward and off the left wing that season because Arsenal did not want to pigeonhole him.
The longer he has been with the under-21s, however, the more he has specialised. In January 2023, Arsenal U21 head coach Mehmet Ali told The Athletic: “I believe playing as a pocket player who can hold his position in a pocket, sometimes coming deeper or wider, but really understanding that role is important for him.”
That evolution as a ‘pocket player’ role has become clearer in the 18 months since. Eighty-one per cent of Nwaneri’s club appearances in 2023-24 were with the under-21s and most of those were as a left-sided No 8, where he has been used so far by first-team manager Mikel Arteta in pre-season.
A week in September 2023encapsulated how well that area of the pitch suited Nwaneri, as he scored a hat-trick of first-time finishes arriving late into the box against Leicester City Under-21s before impressing as a playmaker away to Swindon Town in the EFL Trophy.
That week, Arsenal Under-21s coach Ali said: “When you have a talent like Ethan, and all the boys we work with, we’ve got to help them at this age to understand their job description. With Ethan, we’ve done a lot of work on his positioning, game understanding and scoring goals.”
Nwaneri finished last season with 18 goals (11 for the under-21s) and four assists before netting three goals in four games for England at this summer’s Under-17 European Championship.
Asked how the midfielder progressed in a full season with the under-21s and what the work on being a ‘pocket player’ looks like in May 2024, Ali told The Athletic: “He’s really matured as a person and a player. He spends a lot of time training with the first team and with us. He’s ruthless in front of goal and shown that eye for goal with us, and in training with the first team.
“When you’ve got a player like Eth, he needs support with his positioning too because sometimes he gets drawn to always going towards the ball. That’s because he’s good at manipulating it. But if you watch our first team, they’re very clever and have a lot of trust to hold their positions.
“At times you have to move and rotate, but there are also times where you need to be patient and hold. What we do on the training pitch is create scenarios where he gets to practise against mannequins, smaller numbers and when he’s with the first team. We’ll work on his scanning and his receiving too, but it’s also about watching the first team and watching himself back.”
While the discipline to hold his position in a pocket was on display throughout last season, there were a few other indicators in Nwaneri’s performances against Manchester United that showed he belongs, including the ability to rotate positionally with Trossard on the left and the awareness to smartly find the space for his assist.
He was also able to play accurate one- and two-touch passes to escape pressure in deeper areas. He showed nice disguise on his final ball and an ability to receive and evade pressure against Bournemouth.
For how assured Nwaneri has looked whenever with the first team, there will naturally be areas for improvement and development. In the same discussion about the midfielder in May, Ali added: “In terms of areas he can improve, we’re always looking at the physicality of the Premier League. It’s relentless in terms of athleticism, running power and agility, so his out-of-possession stuff is an area we’re looking to develop.
“If you look at the first team, how aggressive they are in high press and how much running our midfielders do, that’s an area he needs to look at. Not just from a physical aspect but also a tactical one, in knowing the right moments when to try and nick the ball in the final third but also recovery runs and not letting people run off him. That’s been his plan for this season (2023-24) and he’s worked hard on it.”
That work could be seen when Manchester United were more ball-dominant early in the first half this weekend. Nwaneri initially did well to join Arsenal’s press on the right side of the pitch to block a clearance. But the emphasis on the ‘right moments’ became clearer as the half progressed with United sometimes breaking with passes in behind him.
At 17, neither that nor the moments where Nwaneri may hold onto the ball a second too long are major issues, as those part of his game understanding will come with more experience. It is important to remember Nwaneri is still a young person with room to develop. Expectations should not spike too high, but the teenager has responded well to his latest tests of senior football.
His team-mates were just as willing to give him the ball under pressure as they had been when he came on at 6-0 against West Hamin February. Mikel Arteta said then: “There is something that you have to do in your team, and that is the trust of the team-mates. And I had two things: one, the players on the bench whispering to bring Ethan on, which is a great thing to hear, and the other one, your team-mates want to give you the ball all of the time.”
Now he needs meaningful opportunities in the coming seasons. Arsenal’s academy-to-first-team pathway has come under scrutiny of late, and its need for improvement not being lost on Arteta could benefit Nwaneri — especially as he was the only played aged 21 or under other than Bukayo Sakaused by the Spaniard last season in the Premier League.
Arsenal’s friendlies against Bayer Leverkusenand Olympique Lyonnais may provide a better idea of how close Nwaneri he really is to the first team, with senior players who were involved deep into the 2024 European Championship still to be fully re-integrated.
Whatever the case may be, the 2024-25 season looks promising for Arsenal’s exciting young talent.
What Ethan Nwaneri’s pre-season reveals about his readiness for Arsenal’s first team
By Art de Roché
Pre-season is a time to assess young prospects who are given precious first-team minutes ahead of a new season.
Arsenal’s last couple of US tours have only seen flashes of youth, but opportunities to play have come this summer and Ethan Nwanerihas taken the opportunity to impress. The 17-year-old academy talent, who is signed to a professional contract, played 84 minutes against Bournemouthand drove Arsenal forward from midfield.
He was then given the first 45 minutes against Manchester United, standing out again with how well he moved the ball in build-up and the final third. The England Under-17 international assisted Gabriel Jesus’ equaliser, but considering United’s strong start, it was also an opportunity to see him in more defensive scenarios than usual.
Nwaneri has been on the mainstream radar since his Arsenal debut aged 15 against Brentfordin September 2022, which made him the youngest player in Premier League history. People at Arsenal and Englandknew his ability way before then, but the two years since have been about preparing him for the first team.
He had made his Arsenal Under-21s debut just two weeks before his first-team debut and went on to play 11 games for them and 15 for the under-18s in 2022-23. He was used as a No 10, a left-sided No 8, a centre-forward and off the left wing that season because Arsenal did not want to pigeonhole him.
The longer he has been with the under-21s, however, the more he has specialised. In January 2023, Arsenal U21 head coach Mehmet Ali told The Athletic: “I believe playing as a pocket player who can hold his position in a pocket, sometimes coming deeper or wider, but really understanding that role is important for him.”
That evolution as a ‘pocket player’ role has become clearer in the 18 months since. Eighty-one per cent of Nwaneri’s club appearances in 2023-24 were with the under-21s and most of those were as a left-sided No 8, where he has been used so far by first-team manager Mikel Arteta in pre-season.
A week in September 2023encapsulated how well that area of the pitch suited Nwaneri, as he scored a hat-trick of first-time finishes arriving late into the box against Leicester City Under-21s before impressing as a playmaker away to Swindon Town in the EFL Trophy.
That week, Arsenal Under-21s coach Ali said: “When you have a talent like Ethan, and all the boys we work with, we’ve got to help them at this age to understand their job description. With Ethan, we’ve done a lot of work on his positioning, game understanding and scoring goals.”
Nwaneri finished last season with 18 goals (11 for the under-21s) and four assists before netting three goals in four games for England at this summer’s Under-17 European Championship.
Asked how the midfielder progressed in a full season with the under-21s and what the work on being a ‘pocket player’ looks like in May 2024, Ali told The Athletic: “He’s really matured as a person and a player. He spends a lot of time training with the first team and with us. He’s ruthless in front of goal and shown that eye for goal with us, and in training with the first team.
“When you’ve got a player like Eth, he needs support with his positioning too because sometimes he gets drawn to always going towards the ball. That’s because he’s good at manipulating it. But if you watch our first team, they’re very clever and have a lot of trust to hold their positions.
“At times you have to move and rotate, but there are also times where you need to be patient and hold. What we do on the training pitch is create scenarios where he gets to practise against mannequins, smaller numbers and when he’s with the first team. We’ll work on his scanning and his receiving too, but it’s also about watching the first team and watching himself back.”
While the discipline to hold his position in a pocket was on display throughout last season, there were a few other indicators in Nwaneri’s performances against Manchester United that showed he belongs, including the ability to rotate positionally with Trossard on the left and the awareness to smartly find the space for his assist.
He was also able to play accurate one- and two-touch passes to escape pressure in deeper areas. He showed nice disguise on his final ball and an ability to receive and evade pressure against Bournemouth.
For how assured Nwaneri has looked whenever with the first team, there will naturally be areas for improvement and development. In the same discussion about the midfielder in May, Ali added: “In terms of areas he can improve, we’re always looking at the physicality of the Premier League. It’s relentless in terms of athleticism, running power and agility, so his out-of-possession stuff is an area we’re looking to develop.
“If you look at the first team, how aggressive they are in high press and how much running our midfielders do, that’s an area he needs to look at. Not just from a physical aspect but also a tactical one, in knowing the right moments when to try and nick the ball in the final third but also recovery runs and not letting people run off him. That’s been his plan for this season (2023-24) and he’s worked hard on it.”
That work could be seen when Manchester United were more ball-dominant early in the first half this weekend. Nwaneri initially did well to join Arsenal’s press on the right side of the pitch to block a clearance. But the emphasis on the ‘right moments’ became clearer as the half progressed with United sometimes breaking with passes in behind him.
At 17, neither that nor the moments where Nwaneri may hold onto the ball a second too long are major issues, as those part of his game understanding will come with more experience. It is important to remember Nwaneri is still a young person with room to develop. Expectations should not spike too high, but the teenager has responded well to his latest tests of senior football.
His team-mates were just as willing to give him the ball under pressure as they had been when he came on at 6-0 against West Hamin February. Mikel Arteta said then: “There is something that you have to do in your team, and that is the trust of the team-mates. And I had two things: one, the players on the bench whispering to bring Ethan on, which is a great thing to hear, and the other one, your team-mates want to give you the ball all of the time.”
Now he needs meaningful opportunities in the coming seasons. Arsenal’s academy-to-first-team pathway has come under scrutiny of late, and its need for improvement not being lost on Arteta could benefit Nwaneri — especially as he was the only played aged 21 or under other than Bukayo Sakaused by the Spaniard last season in the Premier League.
Arsenal’s friendlies against Bayer Leverkusenand Olympique Lyonnais may provide a better idea of how close Nwaneri he really is to the first team, with senior players who were involved deep into the 2024 European Championship still to be fully re-integrated.
Whatever the case may be, the 2024-25 season looks promising for Arsenal’s exciting young talent.
