Should Arsenal really pin all hopes on Ethan Nwaneri?

Many key injuries and a bright performance later, and now the hopes of all Arsenal fans rest squarely on the shoulders of young Ethan Nwaneri – can/should we really let him be saddled with our grand expectations?  

His efforts vs. Leicester City indicates that the answer is ‘yes’: Nwaneri showed a velvet touch, bustling energy, and a direct running style which caused the Foxes massive problems, all capped off by the wonderful cross to Mikel Merino for our opening goal and a Man of the Match award.

The 17-year-old is already being hyped up to oblivion (deservedly so) and even sparked Lionel Messi comparisons in the TNT Sports commentary box (composure, please!), while our frontline absences mean he will continue to bear great attacking responsibility over the coming weeks/months.

All very exciting, but Arsenal still need to be careful: he is just a kid.

Can Arsenal really put all their 2024/25 hopes on Ethan Nwaneri?

There is often a tendency to talk up young players as the ‘next big thing,’ and the Gunners are all too accustomed to seeing such talents fade, or at least not quite hit the expected heights (Chris Willock, Benik Afobe, and Wellington Silva being among them, to name just a few).    

It is an underwhelming fate that no one wants for Nwaneri, and not for one second am I suggesting that this is what awaits him. In fact, events to date signal how he will manage just fine as he appears to take everything in his stride and produces the goods in almost every match, with Leicester, Girona FC, and Preston North End being three big occasions where he earned a starting berth and even claimed the MotM prize.

But the last thing Arsenal need is for Nwaneri to follow in the footsteps of others like Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka and get run into the ground for 90 minutes every match until disaster strikes. Injuries to those two mean the teenager will be pushed to the limit physically whilst dealing with the pressure to deliver on the biggest stages in world football – that is a lot to ask of anyone.

Maybe he is ready and willing to ‘serve’ – his talent and calm demeanour certainly indicate that he is – and our somewhat ‘nice’ schedule might help ease any strain: just six games between now and 31st March across all competitions, some of which are against teams struggling for form (not to jinx it or anything).

That workload should allow for some rest and rotation and, thus, enable him to be the big difference-maker when on the pitch. But our tough circumstances could still see Nwaneri get used like a bar of soap in the name of trophy hunting (as Saka was) and result in him suffering burnout later this term – something which would be unfair and an undeserved, personal ‘punishment’ for our poor transfer window.      

Fair or not, Arsenal are pinning all their hopes on the talent and fitness of young Nwaneri. Let’s pray that he can come through it unscathed.

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