This has been a trying season for Arsenal so far who after two successive title challengers are now languishing five points behind Manchester City and seven points behind Liverpool.
It’s not been the dream start that Mikel Arteta was crying out for and as such, the title does not look as though it’ll be heading in the direction of the Emirates Stadium next May.
Still, there are some positives. Bukayo Saka is only going from strength to strength in Arsenal colours and has assisted seven goals in his first nine Premier League games of the season. Kai Havertz has also been a revelation as a striker, scoring seven times this term.
The blooding of fresh youngsters has also been exciting with Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly now receiving regular first-team minutes.
The Carabao Cup has also seen a whole host of Hale End stars be handed their first-team debuts by Arteta too.
Yet, it’s that boy Nwaneri who is causing the biggest fuss after a terrific start to his first full campaign in senior football.
Ethan Nwaneri's season in numbers so far
Aged just 15, Arteta handed a debut to a certain Nwaneri who became the English top-flight’s youngest-ever player in the process.
#1 Ethan Nwaneri
15 years, 5 months, 28 days
#2 Jack Porter
16 years, 2 months, 10 days
#3 Cesc Fabregas
16 years, 5 months, 24 days
#4 Jack Wilshere
16 years, 8 months, 12 days
#5 Jermaine Pennant
16 years, 10 months, 15 days
#6 Paul Vaessen
16 years, 11 months, 11 days
#7 Ryan Smith
16 years, 11 months, 18 days
#8 Gedion Zelalem
16 years, 11 months, 29 days
#9 Armand Traore
17 years, 16 days
Since then, the teenager has had to remain patient and wait for regular opportunities. Now 17, he’s proving why the Gunners backed him at such a young age a few years ago.
He may not be starting Premier League or Champions League games yet but it feels like it’s only a matter of time considering his performances so far.
The teen first dazzled against Bolton in the Carabao Cup last month, scoring twice during a sensational display in which he also completed 93% of his passes, of which two led to goalscoring opportunities.
The Hale End graduate then found the net against Preston in the next round a few days ago. This time it was a stunning goal. Nwaneri picked it up on the edge of the area before fizzing an effort past the goalkeeper and into the top corner.
It was another fabulous display from the youngster who completed 98% of his passes on that occasion and also succeeded with two of his three dribbles.
So, in short, he’s a pretty special talent but it’s not as though Arsenal haven’t been here before. Think Jack Wilshere, think Cesc Fabregas.
There’s another player we want to discuss too and he’s ranked eighth in the table above; Gedion Zelalem.
Arsenal's original Ethan Nwaneri
12 years ago a teenage Zelalem was spotted by Gunners scout Daniel Karbassiyoon playing for Olney Rangers in the USA. That summer of 2012 he was flown to London and trained over the summer at London Colney before he was offered a contract in the academy.
A year later, he was already being inducted into the first team by a certain Arsene Wenger, travelling with a 24-man squad for the club’s Asia tour.
Zelalem starred, of course, he did and was favourably compared to Fabregas in the months to follow.
“I honestly think Gedion has the talent to become a great player. He is a creative player and he can create a spark, an opening with his passing, his vision through the lines. If he manages to develop his physique and keep his qualities, he can be a very important player.” – Wenger on Zelalem.
So, what happened to him? Well, the German-born American youth international featured in just four official matches for Arsenal’s first team after a cruel time of it with injuries.
First Impressions
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There were a couple of unsuccessful loan spells at Rangers and VVV-Venlo in the Netherlands before he left on a free transfer under Unai Emery’s watch in 2019.
Arsenal (2014-2019)
4
Rangers (2015/16 loan)
28
VVV-Venlo (2017 loan)
8
Sporting Kansas City
9
New York City
24
Den Bosch
38
Lokomotiva Zagreb
0
Why did things peter out in the way they did? Well, a horrid ACL injury in 2017 at the U20 World Cup meant he could never rediscover his form.
Once a creative marvel, a Fabregas or Nwaneri-level talent, he never realised the enormous potential Wenger expected of him and his career has sadly dwindled after initially playing first-team football as a teen at Arsenal.
After heading back to the USA, 27-year-old Zelalem is now playing his football in Croatia for NK Lokomotiva Zagreb having signed on a free over the summer. This is perhaps one of football’s great what-could-have-been stories.
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