Ethan Nwaneri was once again at the forefront of everything good Arsenal did during their 7-1 win over PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League.
Owing to Bukayo Saka’s injury absence, Nwaneri has continued on the right for Arsenal, a position he’s beginning to make his own.
In the long-run, many Arsenal supporters envision that the 17-year-old will play more centrally, perhaps competing with Martin Odegaard for the role as Mikel Arteta’s number 10.
Of course, the prospect of Nwaneri playing in the same team as Saka is already incredibly exciting – even if it might be at the expense of the Arsenal skipper.
Either way, it’s a positive situation for Arteta, who would surely welcome such a selection headache in the future.
Wayne Rooney explains why he was so impressed by Ethan Nwaneri
That being said, former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney shared his thoughts on Nwaneri’s display whilst covering Arsenal’s victory over PSV for Amazon Prime.
Nwaneri played 71 minutes on the right for Arsenal before he was replaced by Raheem Sterling with Sunday’s trip to Old Trafford in mind.
READ MORE: Declan Rice has a point to make about Ethan Nwaneri after Arsenal’s 7-1 win over PSV
Arteta’s side will need to try and recreate their goalscoring efforts against Manchester United away from home.
And judging by Rooney’s review on Nwaneri’s performance, he’d conclude that the Hale End youngster will be central to those chances.
Rooney said: “I thought Ethan Nwaneri was incredible. At 17-years-old, to play in the knockout stages of the Champions League, to show his flair, his ability, his willingness to get shots off, I thought he was fantastic.”
Arsenal have already made progress with Ethan Nwaneri’s new contract
In addition to Rooney, Mikel Arteta also praised Nwaneri’s output against PSV, a youngster who continues to defy his years.
Jurrien Timber praised Nwaneri before Tuesday’s tie with the Dutch side, and the young winger is already proving him right.
Fortunately for the Gunners, Nwaneri has agreed a new contract with Arsenal, one that he will sign once he’s 18-years-old.
It’s no exaggeration to say that Nwaneri has saved Arsenal millions moving forwards – the Gunners have been searching for suitable back-up for Saka for so long.
Of course, Nwaneri won’t often be sitting on the bench for Arteta’s side on recent evidence, a young player who Arsenal will be keen to manage, but also one who can help them achieve results immediately.
