Mikel Arteta fielded a relatively strong team for the clash in Lancashire, featuring William Saliba, Gabriel Martinelli, and Mikel Merino among the starting eleven.
But it was Nwaneri, aged 17, who stole the show at Deepdale. He scored Arsenal’s second goal at the 33-minute mark with a beautiful, curling left-footed shot from 30 yards out, leaving Preston goalkeeper Freddie Woodman helpless…Continue Reading
In addition to the incredible goal, this feat made Nwaneri the youngest Arsenal player – at 17 years and 223 days – to score in his first two starts for the club, following his two-goal performance in their 5-1 victory over Bolton on September 26.
After that win against Bolton, Arteta spoke highly of the young player.
“He’s improving daily,” he told Arsenal.com.
“They [fans] really respect him. You can tell he’s playing without pressure, with confidence, with a way of making decisions that tells you that the boy is ready at this level. Today he had a really strong performance and I’m happy to see that.”
Despite his young age, this isn’t the first time the Arsenal academy graduate has made history. In September 2022, he became the youngest player to appear in the Premier League at just 15 years and 181 days, surpassing Harvey Elliott’s record.
His debut against Brentford also made him Arsenal’s youngest-ever player in any competition, breaking the previous record of 16 years and 177 days, set by former midfielder Cesc Fabregas.
This season, the Hale End academy talent has featured in four Premier League games against Liverpool, Bournemouth, Tottenham, and Leicester City, holding his own on the big stage.
With Arsenal’s packed schedule in the Champions League, Premier League, League Cup, and FA Cup, more chances will likely come for young talents like Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Ahead of tonight’s match, Arteta spoke about how he believes Lewis-Skelly has “earned the right to play.”
“He doesn’t care, he plays with full belief, with a lot of commitment, he’s got the qualities that we want in his position, to play outside, to play inside,” Arteta said.
“Defensively, he’s a really strong player and where we want him.
“When a player is like this, I don’t care if he’s from the academy or whatever, we need to give him the opportunities and he’s earned the right to play those games.”
