Pain in the Arsenal
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3 positives & negatives from Arsenal’s pre-season draw with Nurnberg

By James Cormack

Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta looks on during the pre-season friendly football match FC Nuernberg vs FC Arsenal in Nuremberg, on July 13, 2023. (Photo by CHRISTOF STACHE / AFP) (Photo by CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP via Getty Images)
Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta looks on during the pre-season friendly football match FC Nuernberg vs FC Arsenal in Nuremberg, on July 13, 2023. (Photo by CHRISTOF STACHE / AFP) (Photo by CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Ethan Nwaneri impressed in his cameo off the bench. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)
Ethan Nwaneri impressed in his cameo off the bench. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images) /

Positive #2: Nwaneri impresses

The first half was so controlled by Arsenal’s starters that it almost became quite dull. Fans crave novelty in a July fixture, they want to seek fresh narratives, and Arteta certainly ramped up the intrigue after the break.

The Spaniard gave the kids a go to conclude the contest as Premier League record-breaker Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly, and Reull Walters were all introduced. Each offered glimpses of their talent, with Lewis-Skelly feeding Balogun in behind with a divine through ball for a chance that should’ve been converted before Walters prevented Arsenal from losing at the death with a key block.

However, it was Nwaneri that caught the eye of supporters with his fearless cameo. The 16-year-old took the contest by the scruff of the neck when he came on, showcasing why he’s so highly regarded within Arsenal’s youth set-up. He plucked high balls from the sky like it was second nature, swivelled beyond tacklers like he was Zizou, and constantly sought to be positive in possession.

Let’s see what he can do across the pond.

Negative #2: Waste of Balogun

While it was exciting to see the Gunners in action on Thursday, there were a couple of players supporters were particularly keen to keep a close eye on. One of those was Balogun, whose future at the club remains unclear following his excellent loan spell at Reims last season.

The young forward is set to be given a chance to impress Arteta this summer, but I was disappointed by the manager’s deployment of the USMNT star on Thursday.

Balogun entered proceedings just before the hour but was thrust out to the right flank where his impact was minimal. He’s by no means a winger – being deployed wide right just three times in his career – and it wasn’t until late on when he drifted into a more natural central position.

One of the two gilt-edged chances he squandered came after an excellent run which exploited the space in behind the Nurnberg defence.

Continued on the next slide…

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