Arsenal look to set up their lineup for their next match against Tottenham Hotspur in Bournemouth. Ethan Nwaneri is being considered to fill in the gaps.
The north London derby is just in a few days. Both sets of fans are excited to see who will prove to be more dominant early this season. Mikel Arteta is in a bit of trouble as seven players from the Gunners’ side remain injured.
A possibility is that Anglo-Nigerian midfielder Ethan Nwaneri could see his chance. The manager had a pretty deadly midfield lineup setup for the Gunners.
Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice and Mikel Merino were in the playing squad. Some players are now facing injuries in the international break. The manager is in a dilemma of selection ahead of Arsenal’s clash on Sunday. Nigerian Youngster Ethan Nwaneri could be in the lines.
Rice is out of playing due to a red card suspension. The Gunners could see Odegaard could be out of the squad too. Arsenal’s captain had suffered a little knock in Norway’s game in the Nation’s League. Odegaard’s injury against Austria is alarming.
Nwaneri’s chance with the Gunners
The midfield opinions for Arsenal are short. Arteta may now want to bring out a new talent lying under their wings. The 17-year-old midfielder Ethan Nwaneri has been exceptional in under-21 tournaments. Nwaneri has already scripted history for Arsenal. As the youngest Premier League player for Arsenal in the 2022-2023 season.
Nwaneri has been brilliant in Arsenal’s Hale End academy. Ethan scored 11 goals and three assists across 21 games last season. The youngster’s talent has not gone unnoticed by Arteta. Ethan has been on the bench for the Gunners for all the Premier League games this term.
The youngster has made his mark as a promising player in England’s youth ranks. The Arsenal starlet has prominently featured in the FIFA U-17 World Cup. He has also been prominent in the UEFA European Under 17 championship.
Odegaard’s absence is a big blow for the Gunners. Mikel needs a player who can fill in the gaps of a no.10 in the team. Nwaneri has the potential to fill the missing gaps. A game of this magnitude may be a little too big of a stage for the youngster to make his full debut.
Gunner’s gameplan heading into the next clash
Arsenal fans want Bukayo Saka to play Odegaard’s role. The English right winger has only played this position once in the Premier with their 2-0 win over Brighton. The other two options are Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz. Arteta will likely choose one of these options for Sunday’s game as per footballlondon.
The Quality of backups has been significantly improved after the arrival of players like Riccardo Califori and Mikel Merino. The Gunners are short on backup players. Merino is out due to suspension and Raheem Sterling didn’t arrive until the end of the transfer day from Chelsea.
Gabriel Jesus can be used as a coverup but he is completely different in profile from Kai Havertz. Arsenal have built their squad in a triangle around Odegaard, Saka and Ben White. There has been a flaw in this plan’s rotational aspect.
The gunner’s manager is now in a position where his hands are tied. He could put Trossard in a deeper role but Leandro has not seen much game time in this position. The ideal option would be to put Havertz in the position he is quite familiar with. Havertz signed as a striker but has been exceptional in the midfield area.
The next option in Nwaneri is yet to make his senior debut. It would be some decision if Arteta decides to bring up the youngster to make his debut against Tottenham Hotspur.
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