The supremely talented 17-year-old could be the answer for Mikel Arteta amid an unprecedented selection crisis in attack
The Premier League title race is not finished yet! At least, that's what Arsenal will be thinking after Everton stole a dramatic late 2-2 draw against Liverpool in the final Merseyside derby ever to be played at Goodison Park.
Instead of opening up a commanding nine-point lead at the summit, Arne Slot's side are now just seven points ahead of Arsenal with 14 games still to play, including a huge clash between the two sides at Anfield. Mikel Arteta's goal will be to ensure the Gunners have their destiny in their own hands when that game kicks-off on May 10.
The problem is, Arsenal are heading into the business end of the season with a depleted strike force. In a cruel twist of fate, Kai Havertz has joined Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus on the treatment table, leaving Arteta with a major conundrum.
The Arsenal boss no longer has a recognised striker, while Slot can call upon the best attack in Europe, led by the irrepressible Mohamed Salah and ever-improving Cody Gakpo. Liverpool, therefore, have a huge advantage, but all is not lost quite yet. Arteta still has a wildcard option to play in the form of Ethan Nwaneri: the 17-year-old sensation who should now be given the chance to make history.
(C)Getty ImagesBleak outlook
Putting his faith in a teenager with only 16 Premier League appearances under his belt may seem like a huge gamble, but Arteta has no choice but to try something new. Havertz is expected to miss the rest of the season after tearing his hamstring in training during Arsenal's warm weather camp in Dubai, and may be forced to undergo surgery.
Havertz is Arsenal's top scorer for 2024-25 so far, with 15 goals across all competitions, six more than any other player in the squad. Saka is second with nine, but has been out injured with his own hamstring tear since December 21, and is not expected back until at least the start of March.
Martinelli will reportedly also be on the sidelines for the rest of the month after suffering a hamstring strain in Arsenal's Carabao Cup semi-final second leg defeat to Newcastle, while Gabriel Jesus is recovering from an operation on his knee after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury during the club's FA Cup third-round loss against Manchester United, and it has been suggested he faces an uphill battle to return to action before the end of 2025.
The situation could hardly be more bleak for Arteta, who is paying the price for refusing to sign a new striker last summer. However, according to , the Spaniard has also ruled out dipping into the free agency market for forward cover, believing Arsenal will be able to cope until Saka and Martinelli are back to full fitness.
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Arteta probably made that decision because he does still have two players available who are capable of operating as a 'false nine'. Leandro Trossard has been asked to play upfront for Arsenal before, albeit usually supporting Havertz, and is the obvious choice to move into the middle from his usual position on the left wing.
Trossard is not the ideal solution, though. The former Brighton star has shown some signs of decline this season, and only has five goals to his name from 36 appearances across all competitions.
Raheem Sterling, too, has plenty of experience leading the line from his time at Manchester City, but he's even more of an enigma. Arteta has only trusted Sterling to start three Premier League games since his loan move from Chelsea last summer, with the 30-year-old looking a shadow of the player he once was under Pep Guardiola.
The harsh truth is, Trossard and Sterling won't strike fear into the hearts of opposing defences. Nwaneri will, though, and Arteta has already suggested that the teenager has the potential to make a devastating impact in a central role.
GettyNatural eye for goal
"Ethan can play as a right attacking midfielder, left attacking midfielder, and as a right winger, and there is another position he can develop into in a few years time: nine," Arteta said in December. "[When] he’s got the goal in front of him, he just looks at the goal. He has a tremendous ability to put the ball in the back of the net."
Arteta has carefully managed expectations around Nwaneri since his record-breaking introduction to Premier League audiences at just 15, but it's becoming harder and harder for him to keep the youngster out of the spotlight. Nwaneri is currently enjoying a breakout campaign at Arsenal, with seven goals in 23 appearances, only seven of which have come as a starter.
The academy graduate has excelled when filling in for Saka on the right flank, showing off his explosive power when driving into the final third and delivering the kind of end product that is extremely rare to see from a player of his age. And as Arteta has observed, he has a natural eye for goal.
Fast-tracking Nwaneri's development into a No.9 makes a lot of sense. It wouldn't be an alien position to him either, because he was deployed there by coaches at U14 and U15 level, and earned rave reviews for his composure and finishing technique.
Getty Images SportDeadly left foot
Arsenal fans have been able to witness that technique up close this term, and have frequently had their breath taken away. Once Nwaneri cuts in onto his left foot and gets a sight of the posts, he's able to find his mark with unerring accuracy using a deadly combination of whip and venom.
He did it first against Preston in the League Cup, before repeating the trick against Girona in the Champions League and in Arsenal's thumping 5-1 league victory over Manchester City on February 2. Those stunning efforts came as no surprise to his Arsenal team-mates, with Mikel Merino saying after the 2-1 win at Girona: "This kind of goal does not happen by chance. This kind of action is something you train. He is always trying to make this shot, trying to cross to the second post from the right side. He trains it every day. He has an amazing talent, but there is nothing that comes without hard work.”
Imagine what Nwaneri could do stationed closer to the goal. He's confident enough to manufacture his own space and let rip instead of always going for the easy pass, and that ruthless mindset holds him in great stead to lead the line for the Gunners.
