Arteta admits he is ‘surprised’ by how good Arsenal star has been | OneFootball

Mikel Arteta admits even he has been surprised by how quickly youngster Ethan Nwaneri has settled into the Arsenal first team.

Nwaneri became the youngest ever Premier League debutant when he came on against Brentford at the age of 15 years and 181 days in 2022.

He has established himself in the Gunners first team this season, and has found more first-team opportunity of late given Arsenal’s injury crisis in attack.

The 17-year-old impressed from the start in the win over Leicester City last time out, setting up Mikel Merino’s opener.

“It’s faster than we all expected,” Arteta said on Nwaneri’s development.

“What is surprising is the confidence and his decision making, especially in ball possession with the risks that he takes, the initiative that he takes and how he is in the situation when he looks at if there’s someone more open.

“He just needs to do it consistently every three days.”

Asked whether Arteta has to provide him with the freedom on the pitch, the Gunners boss added: “For sure, especially with a player of that talent, getting him very far from thinking mode.

“Let him express himself, put him in the environment, put him in the context where he can explore his qualities as often as he possibly can and surrounded by players that fit his qualities.

“It’s about having the freedom to express their creativity within certain spaces and with certain connections that are developed within the team that are thought and agreed to improve the players’ quality.”

A win over West Ham could see Arsenal move five points behind league leaders Liverpool, ahead of their game against Manchester City on Sunday.

The Reds have now played a game more than Arteta’s side following their 2-2 draw with Aston Villa last Wednesday.

Asked about the benefits of applying pressure on Liverpool, Arteta said: “I would prefer to depend on me because when you depend on someone else, there are too many factors.

“But it feels different. It feels like we can generate the right momentum and convincing yourself that you can do it with the right performances is a big factor because suddenly you feel really strong.”