2 positives & negatives from Arsenal's 5-1 win over Bolton in the Carabao Cup

Mikel Arteta wanted to see the promise of youth, and Ethan Nwaneri delivered with two goals to help beat Bolton in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.

The 17-year-old midfielder showed a keen eye for goal, but Raheem Sterling flew the flag for Arsenal's older generation with a sharp, goalscoring display. Fellow senior players Declan Rice and Kai Havertz also got in on the act, rendering Aaron Collins' strike for the visitors a mere consolation.

Arsenal played in patches during a cagey first half enlivened only by Sterling buzzing on the left. Some mistakes at the back from a creditably enterprising Bolton side helped break the monotony.

Declan Rice was gifted a shooting chance for Arsenal's first goal, but his sweet finish didn't teach the visitors a lesson. More Wanderers gaffes in dangerous areas let Nwaneri in to complete a brace four minutes into the second half. In between, the teenage maestro had profited from slick interplay betwen equally impressive academy graduate Myles Lewis-Skelly and Sterling.

Lewis-Skelly's withdrawal ahead of schedule was a notable negative on an otherwise serene night capped by goals from Sterling and substitute Havertz. So was another tepid performance from Gabriel Jesus, who continues to look out of sorts up top. The Brazilian's struggles are far more concerning than 16-year-old debutant goalkeeper Jack Porter being denied a clean sheet.

2 positives & negatives from Arsenal's 5-1 win over Bolton

Positive #1: Ethan Nwaneri's eye for goal

Frankly, it would have been nice to see more ingenuity and flair in possession from Arsenal's latest bright young thing, but not every Hale End midfielder can be a Jack Wilshere-like technician. Arsenal will certainly settle for Nwaneri's goalscoring touch as ample compensation for any lack of guile on the ball.

Both goals proved Nwaneri has a keen eye in the final third. His first finish, a tap-in, showed a player who already knows how to track the build-up and time his forward runs. Nwaneri's second was an ode to running power through the middle and a decisiveness to seize shooting opportunities.

Getting more goals from the central area of midfield should be a priority for a team without a true, powerhouse centre-forward. Nwaneri gave Arteta ample proof he can handle the responsibility if he's given more opportunities.

Negative #1: Gabriel Jesus still off the pace

Jesus place in the starting XI was a reminder he needs to find form. Arteta is at the stage of trying to force the issue by playing one of his senior figures against lower-league opposition at home in a competition at the bottom of the Gunners' wish-list for this season.

That context should have been enough for Arsenal's No. 9 to feast. Instead, Jesus continued to snatch at chances, a sure sign of a finisher lacking confidence.

His hold-up play was also erratic, featuring some wayward passes and less-than-sure touches. Jesus did play a worthy part in Havertz's goal, wowing the rain-soaked crowd with a cute bit of skill on the flank, but it's the central positions where Arsenal's man in the middle continues to flounder.

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