Five goals, four teenage debutants, a brace for Ethan Nwaneri and a lively performance from Raheem Sterling; as evenings go, it couldn’t have gone much better for Mikel Arteta as Arsenal eased past Bolton to secure a fourth-round Carabao Cup trip with Preston.
Despite hinting that large-scale rotation would be difficult due to injuries, the manager ended up relying on the next generation of academy talent more than expected.
With David Raya and Tommy Setford sidelined and Neto cup-tied, the decision to start 16-year-old Jack Porter in goal was particularly striking. He was joined in the lineup by right-back Josh Nichols, while Ismeal Kabia and Maldini Kacurri made their debuts off the bench.
Amid so many fresh faces, it was easy to forget that Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri, who both featured regularly in pre-season, were also making their first starts for the club. The youngsters didn’t disappoint, capping off a memorable night for both them and the club.
In his post-game press conference, Arteta reflected: “A really positive night, the result, the performance we gave minutes to a lot of senior players and they really showed a lot of quality tonight.
“On top of that we gave a lot of opportunity to quite a lot of academy players, they responded really well, and it’s so fulfilling to see their faces, their reaction how much it means to them, so great night.”
Ending the night as the first under-18 to score more than once on his competitive debut, Nwaneri was rightly awarded the man-of-the-match award. In the absence of Martin Odegaard, who continues to nurse ankle ligament damage, the midfielder underlined his credentials as a potential solution.
“It’s another step,” said Arteta. “I think it’s ahead of what anyone could have expected, in his journey with the first team he’s always ahead of what anyone expected and what I expected as well. He’s part of us so he will have the minutes.”
Arteta was also proud of the way his senior players guided their young peers through the game. Captain Jorginho spent much of the first half giving on-field directions and their were friendly words of encouragement from several other big names.
“They were already doing it in training yesterday, giving them advice,” said Arteta. “I think the boys feel really comfortable with them. Because it’s a magnificent group of players and they really, they can be themselves if they have any fears, they can ask questions and they will be happy to help.
“It’s great that they show that leadership as well. And that sense of caring, which is important and we all need it at some stage in our careers.”
Just a lovely night, apart from the Bolton ‘Tossers”
Really heartwarming to have such an solid all round display without any controversy and getting to see the beginning of the major talent on our hands in Nwaneri