Arsenal eventually beat Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Saturday afternoon, after struggling for a huge portion of the encounter.
Mikel Merino scored two late goals that ensured that the Gunners’ travelled back to London with all three points.
Mikel Arteta heaped praise on Merino for his impact, with the Spaniard adapting quickly to the challenge of playing as a striker – an entirely new role for him.
Despite the Euro 2024 winners’ goal-scoring exploits, one man stood out above everyone else on the pitch.
Ethan Nwaneri was excellent in Arsenal’s win over Leicester
Deployed on the right-wing, Ethan Nwaneri was named in a Premier League starting eleven for just the third time on Saturday afternoon.
Arsenal were missing Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, and thus needed a forward to step up in these absences, and Nwaneri was the man to do so.
The teenager outshone Leandro Trossard and Raheem Sterling, providing the assist for the opening goal with a stunning cross to Merino, as well as having two superb efforts hit the woodwork.
In a game that lacked offensive quality in the final third, Nwaneri stood out, with his willingness to try difficult things, burst past players and take shots making him the clear man of the match in this game.
| Nwaneri’s vs Leicester Statistics | |
| Minutes Played | 90 |
| Shots | 4 |
| Expected Goals | 0.21 |
| Accurate Passes | 28/32 (88%) |
| Touches in Opposition Box | 7 |
| Expected Assists | 0.56 |
| Key Passes | 2 |
| Successful Dribbles | 6/7 (86%) |
Completing six of the seven dribbles he attempted, the 17-year-old’s ability to weave in and out of tight spaces was the only way Arsenal looked like unlocking Leicester’s resolute low block.
This performance not only resonated with the travelling Gunners faithful, who sung his name throughout the game in the away end, but also his manager and pundits covering the game on the TNT Sports braodcast.
Nwaneri is Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka right-wing deputy
Since Saka’s injury, Arteta has selected a number of different players to fill the void left by the team’s talisman on the right-wing.
Martinelli, Trossard and Sterling have all been granted opportunities to stake a claim to be Saka’s definitive deputy, and all of them have failed to do so.
However, Nwaneri has certainly taken his opportunities, replicating what the club’s starboy does better than anyone else in the squad.
His ability to glide past players, swing crosses in and take shots on his left-foot mean Arsenal miss Saka less when Nwaneri starts on the right, and Arteta ought to select the starlet in this role every week until the England international returns.
Once Saka is back from his injury, the Arsenal boss will have a dilemma on his hands.
