However, when it comes to football, teenage sensations are a rare gem. However, 17 year old Ethan Nwaneri is no ordinary 17 year old. Prodigy Arsenal has lit up the Premier League on fire and looking younger than his years not until you have your third energy drink in halftime.
Nwaneri has stepped up, put under pressure of Arsenal’s growing injury list, but has thrown it into the deep end and turned it into pure gold. With the injured Bukayo Saka filling in for him on the right wing (not his favorite place), Nwaneri has been mesmerizing with his footwork and imagination, potential teenage cockiness. He played and dominated against Leicester City. Man of the Match? Check. Assist? Check. Two near-goals? He only casually pinged the woodwork two time.
Nwaneri’s Record-Breaking Brilliance
As footballers have become less inclined to say those three little words, the stat sheet has become the new love language.
Against Leicester, Nwaneri became the youngest player since 2003/04 with five or more dribbles in a Premier League game and helped and assist for a goal. An interesting fact: Bukayo Saka, himself, used to hold this record before. If the baton was solid gold and piped 60,000 fans shouting your name, then it is Arsenal’s own version of passing the baton.
Seven goals in 24 matches this season is no sudden flurry of work but setting his own legacy as he fills in gaps. If he manages to score three more goals before his 18th birthday, he will have scored more than legends Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen recorded by that age. No pressure, kid.
Why his Skillset is Next-Level
Why then is Nwaneri so special? It’s all in the finesse.
He has balance, speed, and the type of technical flair that gives defenders questions to ask about their life choices. Jeremy Doku and Abdul Fatawu don increase their dribbles per 90 minutes but Nwaneri’s success rate is 66.7%. Still looks like he probably still have homework.
His left foot? Absolute magic. He ipsum from the right wing, curls shots into the top corner to craft his own highlight reel. Defenders are kept on edge by his unpredictability, making him the Saka comparison, but with a twist of intrigue.
For more sports updates, make sure to follow us on:
