Arteta drops Martinelli and Odegaard issue solved – how Arsenal can unleash Ethan Nwaneri

Arsenal teen star Ethan Nwaneri could be set for increased game time after bagging a brace on his first senior start. The attacking midfielder struck twice during the 5-1 thrashing of Bolton in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.

Mikel Arteta has used Nwaneri sparingly since he made the England youth international the Premier League’s youngest-ever player aged 15 in 2022. Express Sport looks at ways the Spaniard can unleash his best prospect in the top-flight over the coming weeks.

Martinelli dropped

Nwaneri played in a central midfield role against Bolton but can also play out wide. With Bukayo Saka operating on the right, he could earn game time on the left.

Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard are often rotated in that position, although the latter is suspended for the visit of Leicester on Saturday. Arteta could be bold and drop Martinelli to the bench, allowing Nwaneri to adopt a position closer to goal.

Odegaard issue solved

Arteta revealed earlier this week that Arsenal could be without captain Martin Odegaard for at least several weeks. The Gunners head coach admitted that the club captain may even be absent with an ankle injury until after the October international break.

Arsenal lose some of their creativity when Odegaard is unavailable. But starting Nwaneri in midfield would partially solve that issue. The 18-year-old is excellent at carving out chances for both himself and his team-mates, and created two scoring opportunities against Bolton.

Nwaneri’s Saka problem

Some of Nwaneri’s best performances for the youth teams of Arsenal and England have come from a right-wing position. A goal against Spain at the U17 European Championship bore a striking resemblance to ones Arsenal fans have seen Saka score many times, cutting inside before firing into the far corner.

But Arteta seems insistent on using Saka from the start in every game. There was some surprise when the England forward was named on the team sheet against Bolton, with many expecting the 22-year-old to be handed a well-earned night off.

If Saka is to play a key role in each competition, that could prevent Nwaneri from developing in his best position.

A substitute role

The most likely outcome is that Nwaneri is slowly bedded into Premier League football with more frequent substitute appearances. He was named on the bench six times last season but played just 13 minutes, which all came in a top-flight cameo against West Ham.

But after the academy graduate’s contributions against Bolton, Arteta can now trust Nwaneri to perform well at a senior level and is likely to offer him more minutes as a substitute.