Arsenal teenager Ethan Nwaneri joins Jude Bellingham with historic Champions League goal | OneFootball

Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri became the third-youngest goalscorer in a Champions League knockout stage match as the 17-year-old found the target in record-breaking 7-1 win over PSV Eindhoven in the last-16.

Nwaneri finished off Myles Lewis-Skelly’s cross with a thumping first-time shot to score Arsenal’s second of the night, with the academy graduate scoring his eighth goal of what has been a breakthrough season.

Nwaneri has helped Mikel Arteta’s side through an injury crisis in Arsenal’s attack - with Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus all unavailable - and he stepped up with another big goal.

Nwaneri does not turn 18 until later this month and only former Barcelona and Stoke forward Bojan Krkic and England international Jude Bellingham have scored a Champions League knockout stage goal at a younger age.

Bojan was 17 years and 217 days when he scored for Barcelona against Schalke in 2008, while Bellingham was 17 years and 289 days when he scored for Borussia Dortmund against Manchester City in the quarter-finals in 2021.

Nwaneri, at 17 years and 348 days, overtakes Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala, who scored against Lazio just shy of his 18th birthday at 17 years and 363 days.

Just by playing, Nwaneri also became only the third English player to start a Champions League knockout match before turning 18, along with Bellingham and Phil Foden.

Nwaneri’s goal, set up by fellow academy graduate Lewis-Skelly, was the first time English teenagers had combined to score in Champions League history.

Arsenal went on to win 7-1, with Mikel Arteta’s side all but certain of facing Real Madrid or Atletico in the quarter-finals, and captain Martin Odegaard praised the impact of the pair from the Hale End academy.

"They play like they’ve been here for many years already,” Odegaard told Amazon Prime. “They have so much quality, so much confidence. You have to enjoy it.

“I try to help them. Obviously I've been in a similar position. For them it’s such a natural thing. They’re here, they’re ready for it. It’s a joy to play with them.”