Arteta Praises Nwaneri's Premier League Start
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Brentford, Jan 2 (NationPress) Arsenal's head coach Mikel Arteta praised the remarkable contribution of 17-year-old winger Ethan Nwaneri, who made his full Premier League debut in Arsenal's 3-1 comeback victory over Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Nwaneri marked his first league start at the same venue where he made history as the youngest player for the Gunners as a substitute in 2022.
On Wednesday night, the Arsenal academy product was back at the Gtech Community Stadium, making his inaugural full Premier League start for the club.
The performance of the 17-year-old winger validated Arteta's choice to give Nwaneri a chance, especially in the absence of Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz.
"That position wasn’t due to a fluke; it was a decision we made because I believed he was the best player for that position to start the game, considering the narrative of his debut here," Arteta explained.
"He made his Premier League debut, and sometimes you just know it’s the right call. He performed excellently. In training, he consistently provides us with the right reasons to play him. We could’ve signed a player from anywhere, and he would still be in the lineup.
"We’re developing him; he’s already accumulated significant playing time for someone his age, and he fully deserves this opportunity," he added.
Goals from Gabriel Jesus, Merino, and Gabriel Martinelli secured the victory for the Gunners against Brentford, who have won seven of their nine home league matches this season.
"We triumphed in a challenging stadium against a formidable opponent. Their home record is impressive, and going down 1-0 makes it even tougher. We had to navigate through some challenging phases. We started on a fast and aggressive note, adapting along the way. We faced injuries and illness," Arteta commented on the match outcome.
Wednesday’s win propels Arsenal ahead of Nottingham Forest in the standings, putting them six points behind the leaders, Liverpool, while Brentford remains in 12th place, having gone four consecutive top-flight matches without a victory.
