The stats which show just how good Ethan Nwaneri was against Leicester

A jink and a jive followed by a fierce curling effort past Mads Hermansen's post may well prove to be the early warning sequence at the start of a magical career for Ethan Nwaneri.

Back in the autumn, Arsenal supporters were clamouring for the teenager to play an increased role with Martin Odegaard nursing an ankle injury. Mikel Arteta, opting for patience, eased the teenager in. There was a cameo in the North London Derby, and another minor role while the Gunners were chasing three points at home to Leicester.

Nwaneri played for a matter of minutes on each outing, yet he almost always found a way to make himself known. The aforementioned sequence arrived before Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz sealed a 4-2 victory.

Gradually, the kid's significance became impossible to ignore and Saturday's 2-0 victory at the King Power manifested the superstar potential burgeoning within Nwaneri's nifty feet. The 17-year-old dazzled at the weekend, with his performance just about overshadowing Mikel Merino's impact as a makeshift centre-forward off the bench.

The stats which show just how good Ethan Nwaneri was against Leicester

Despite Merino's match-winning brace, Nwaneri was universally recognised as the game's standout performer. While Raheem Sterling set wing play back a couple of decades down the left, Nwaneri relentlessly sought to inspire a flat Gunners outfit succumbing to the dreariness of a lunchtime kick-off.

The England youth international is no winger by trade but is in possession of the requisite skill set to shine in a role we've seen Bukayo Saka master for years. Laden with poise, guile, and the balance of a ballerina, Nwaneri is ever so hard to dispossess. His ability with both feet, complemented by a swift burst of pace, allows him to beat his man on both sides, and we've already seen just how effective the teenager can be when he cuts onto his preferred left.

On Saturday, Nwaneri completed as many dribbles as the rest of his teammates and was involved in 54.5% of Arsenal's shots - via Scouted Football. After kissing then thumping the woodwork with two ambitious attempts at goal, the 17-year-old set up the visitors' opener with a pinpoint cross for Merino.

He became the youngest player on record to notch at least five successful dribbles and register an assist in a Premier League game. He's also the only 17-year-old in the competition's history to register seven successful dribbles in a day's work.

Nwaneri's assist at Leicester was his fourth goal contribution in the league this term, meaning he's six away from becoming the sixth player to be directly involved in ten-plus Premier League goals in a season when starting the campaign under the age of 18.

The frequency at which he's been able to contribute in the final third has been remarkable, with Nwaneri currently averaging 0.97 goal involvements per 90 minutes in the Premier League (via LiveScore) - a rate which exceeds majestic contemporaries like Florian Wirtz (0.96), Lamine Yamal (0.79), and Jude Bellingham (0.72). Sample size, of course, has to be considered here with the mentioned trio closing in on 2,000 league minutes this term while Nwaneri's played a mere 372 in the English top flight.

Still, what we're seeing from Nwaneri at the start of his career simply isn't normal. Hale End may well have done it again.

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