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Ethan Nwaneri’s performance delighted Mikel Arteta but did not surprise him as the 17-year-old’s superb strike helped Arsenal to a 3-0 win over Preston and into the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup.
The teenager bent in a fine first-half goal after Gabriel Jesus’s first strike since January had set Arsenal on their way, with substitute Kai Havertz adding the third early in the second half.
It was another stand-out Carabao Cup performance from academy product Nwaneri, who got his first senior goals with a brace in Arsenal’s 5-1 win over Bolton in the previous round. He might have had two at Deepdale too, but a late strike hit the crossbar.
“He did it yesterday in training too, so we’re getting used to that,” the Arsenal boss said.
“He’s a big talent, he’s got the right attitude, he’s got the right players and context around him and we need to make sure that we put brick by brick in the right tempo, in the right order, but we have some player there.”
Two years ago Nwaneri came off the bench against Brentford to become the youngest player in the Premier League at the age of 15 and 181 days. Having already made four brief substitute appearances in the league this season, he looks ready to take on a bigger role.
“He’s going to really dictate how fast that’s going to go, but I’m really, really happy with him,” Arteta added.
“There’s so much personality there. He wants to impose himself, he wants every ball, he wants to make things happen. Outside around the boy, he’s still a bit quiet, as is usual for a 17-year-old.
“But he’s very respectful, his work ethic is tremendous and he loves what he does, you can tell that. I think he is showing every day what he is capable of. You see his teammates, they are giving him the ball all the time, that’s a great sign. So we have some player there.”
While Nwaneri will take the headlines, Arteta also hopes that Jesus can take confidence from his first strike since a 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest in January.
“It’s been a long time,” Arteta said. “I think it’s going to unlock that thing mentally and (he can) move on, but I think he had a good performance tonight.”
Preston struggled to deal with Arsenal in the first half but improved after the break and were finally able to trouble the Gunners’ debutant goalkeeper Tommy Setford late on, with Jeppe Okkels forcing a good save before substitute Emil Riis poked a fine chance wide.
Preston boss Paul Heckingbottom said: “In the second half we were better, we passed the ball, we were braver, it would have been nice to get a goal that I think our play deserved, but it’s the levels.
“I was really disappointed with the first goal, a set-play and we were marking the wrong people…but the second goal is fantastic. I don’t think you can stop that.”