The Hale End has produced a fair few exciting talents over the past few years.
Some have already made their way to the Premier League, while others are just starting to prove they deserve a place in the top tier.
The most prominent example of Arsenal’s successful work at the academy level is Bukayo Saka.
The 23-year-old has earned praise from many by demonstrating maturity, consistency, intelligence, and versatility at both club and international levels.
A few other youngsters are following in his footsteps.
Mikel Arteta has demonstrated his ongoing support for academy players by giving them first-team experience.
Now, it’s time for Ethan Nwaneri.
The 17-year-old attacking midfielder has already played 15 games for the Gunners this season, scoring four times despite having limited minutes.
He has taken every opportunity given by the manager and has demonstrated his ability to adapt, as well as his attacking flair, on several occasions.
The youngster has mainly played as a right central midfielder and right winger, and many have questioned whether he can find a place in the starting XI.
It is too early to draw conclusions, but in our scout report, we use tactical analysis to examine Ethan Nwaneri style of play.
We explain how he can be utilised to his full potential and where he fits into Arsenal tactics.
Ethan Nwaneri Versatility & Intelligent Movement
Although Nwaneri’s playing time has been limited, he’s excelled in some areas and shown potential for development.
His most suitable playing position has yet to be determined, although some details clearly indicate where he feels most comfortable.
The player’s versatility makes him suitable for multiple team setups.
He can play in different positions, including midfield and attack, as long as his role involves creating goal-scoring opportunities.
He can set up his teammates in key positions, but his best attribute is his ability to find pockets and exploit space, making him a direct threat to the goal.
He would operate on the right in a right central midfield position or as a right winger.
Either way, Nwaneri would focus on exploiting the half-spaces and creating attacking opportunities from these areas.
The above goalscoring situation from the game against Nottingham Forest demonstrates his vision and agility.
He spread out to Raheem Sterling on the flank so he could move to the box.
However, he initially acted as though he would not be involved in finishing the attack, which left the defenders covering the other three Arsenal players in the box.
He then relied on his agility and sped up to receive Sterling’s cross and eventually score.
His tactical intelligence makes him valuable in the final third of the field.
He can identify free space and expose the opposition through his movement and technical abilities.
However, even more beneficial is that he can create space by cutting inside or switching plays.
This underlines his passing abilities and his constant aim to progress the ball.
The following images show his ability to identify underloaded areas, which can be used to expose the opposition.
Nwaneri figured out that switching plays and exploiting the free space on the left would be more beneficial, allowing the team to bypass the defensive line.
As illustrated by Ethan Nwaneri’s heatmap, he usually occupied the half-spaces despite the formation, but didn’t hesitate to deliver the ball both centrally and out wide.
The youngster would also drop back into the team’s own half to support ball retention and progression.
Ethan Nwaneri Attacking Influence
Nwaneri’s positional sense often finds him in key areas where he can catch the defenders off guard.
At the same time, his attacking flair allows him to transform such chances into goal-scoring opportunities.
Part of the reason is that he would shoot both from close range and from outside the box without hesitation.
As his shooting map shows, the youngster occupies quality positions which can increase the team’s efficiency in front of the goal.
He can sneak into the box and shoot from difficult angles, making it hard for defences to counter.
When he cannot find a pocket or a teammate to pass to, he relies on his ball control to retain possession and move out of the overloaded zone.
That’s a quality that can only develop with changes and improvements in his physicality.
His determination to deliver the ball to the final third helps him partner better with his teammates and promotes smoother build-up play.
While he still lacks the experience and the habit of performing with such intensity, the 17-year-old still manages to move past the opposing lines through combinations of passes with his teammates.
In this situation against Inter, Nwaneri created a passing net with Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Martinelli to bypass the press and advance the ball.
His movement off the ball also promotes link-up play and helps move the ball forward.
His link-up-play abilities can develop in the future if he is played alongside, not as a replacement, for the Gunners’ skipper, Martin Ødegaard.
With his ability to drag players out of position and release pressure, they could be a good pair to set each other up in and around the box.
His impact on the wing shouldn’t be underestimated as well.
His composure enables him to keep hold of the ball and dribble past opponents.
That’s why he can be beneficial on the flank, too.
His willingness to move into tight spaces can provide Arsenal with additional depth, especially when paired with Saka.
The youngster has now played for the Londoners in all competitions (Premier League, Champions League, and EFL Cup), scoring four goals in 15 games.
However, it is challenging for him to maintain consistency, as he has played a total of 350 minutes.
Despite not settling in completely, his 3.06 shots on average per game give the team a needed edge, especially considering their struggles to find a goalscorer.
Ethan Nwaneri Current Opportunities
Nwaneri will be challenged to find his place in the team, considering Arsenal’s current starting XI.
He needs to gain experience and show his flexibility, which will only happen by playing in different set-ups and being tested by replacing key figures in the team.
The manager has already tested his adaptability by starting him in Ødegaard’s position.
While their vision is similar, Nwaneri has yet to replicate the captain’s creativity and explosiveness around the box.
He needs to take the initiative and demonstrate his creative passing even more to replace Ødegaard properly and impress Arteta.
He can be slowly integrated into the starting XI, initially by partnering with Ødegaard and providing additional attacking depth.
Then, he can eventually prove himself as the future replacement of the skipper.
Depending on his development, the 17-year-old’s role could also transform into one with more central influence.
He could be tested as a replacement for Kai Havertz.
His ball retention skills, positional sense, and ability to disrupt defences can help him fit into even more goal-oriented positions.
While their key qualities differ, the comparisons with Saka cannot be avoided.
Due to his left-footedness and tendency to cut inside, the inverted winger role could also be suitable for Nwaneri.
It would be challenging for the 17-year-old to match Saka’s ability to take on defenders and hold on to the ball.
But he can fit the role thanks to his dribbling and passing range.
His passing accuracy (94.2% per 90 minutes) can help retain possession in the final third, increasing the team’s attacking options.
However, Nwaneri’s crossing abilities are far less developed, which might affect the efficiency in front of the goal.
Ethan Nwaneri Future Development: Defensive Contribution & Physicality
While Nwaneri shows defensive commitment, he has yet to achieve consistency in his performance out of possession.
The lack of experience makes it difficult for him to anticipate potential threats and take effective action to block them.
Even when his defensive positioning was successful, he lacked the physicality to win his duels and block dangerous attacks.
The 17-year-old does try to initiate ball recovery in the opposition half through pressing, although he is more often caught off guard and forced to do quick transitions back.
As his defensive territory map indicates, his defensive coverage is limited, given that he often plays in a wide role.
He needs to improve in covering the flank and tracking down players tightly.
Most importantly, he needs to increase the frequency of his defensive actions, as he still hesitates to dive into challenges.
He has the tactical intelligence to identify such situations; however, his lack of experience affects his timing.
Conclusion
Our analysis shows that Ethan Nwaneri is a few steps away from earning his starting spot for Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta will undoubtedly give him more playing time if he can step up in challenging situations.
The youngster has a natural attacking flair that, if developed, can become crucial to the team’s attacking ventures.
