A few years ago, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal era was off to a rough start, with two consecutive eighth-place finishes and mounting scrutiny over the club’s future. Despite calls to replace him, the board stayed firm, trusting in Arteta’s youth-driven vision. Bukayo Saka emerged as one of the Premier League’s brightest stars, with Reiss Nelson, Emile Smith-Rowe, and Eddie Nketiah also proving their potential.
Following two strong seasons, Arsenal are now Manchester City’s main title rivals. Though they’ve started slowly this season, fans are hopeful for both domestic and European success.
Central to Arteta’s approach is still a reliance on youth. With Nelson, Smith-Rowe, and Nketiah having moved on, a new generation of talent will play a key role. This article explores the young players who could help Arsenal win its first trophy in over five years:
Ethan Nwaneri
Every club dreams of their academy graduates bursting onto the scene and taking the game by storm. However, examples of this happening in reality are rare. Arsenal has the perfect blueprint to help make this dream a reality in the shape of Bukayo Saka.
An extreme talent, Saka is undoubtedly one of the best players in the Premier League and an automatic starter for both club and country.
Having captained Arsenal this season, Saka is well on his way to becoming an Arsenal great, but his heir apparent might not be too far behind.
Ethan Nwaneri has long been billed as a budding star and the next superstar to come out of Arsenal’s highly respected academy. Becoming the youngest ever player in Premier League history when making his Premier League debut aged just 15, Nwaneri has long been on a fast track to the first team. This season has seen him become a much-used figure across both Arsenal’s Champions League and Premier League campaigns.
Arsenal’s 17-Year-Old Prodigy Ready to Shine
Still just 17, Nwaneri can glide past players with effortless ease, and encouragingly for Arteta, he can play in all three positions across the front line.
Seen as a valuable member of the first team already, the Arsenal faithful want to see more of their young prodigy. He showed exactly how exciting he could be when he scored his first goal for the club when helping Arsenal defeat Preston 3-0 in the third round of the Carabao Cup.
Tipped for stardom with both Arsenal and England, there is a huge chance that as the season progresses, Nwaneri will feature heavily in the Arsenal starting eleven and cement his position in the lineup for years to come.
Myles Lewis-Skelly
Alongside Nwaneri, young, dynamic fullback Myles Lewis-Skelly has also caught Mikel Arteta’s attention in recent seasons.
One year older than Nwaneri, Lewis Skelly seems to have fired himself up the Arsenal defensive pecking order. This was shown when he was chosen to replace Jurrien Timber in the recent 2-2 draw with Liverpool and was given the tough task of marking Mohammed Salah.
Put on the pitch ahead of the vastly experienced Oleksandr Zinchenko, Arteta’s decision sent ripples through the Arsenal fanbase and showed them that Lewis-Skelly could become a real presence in the Arsenal team this season.
Getting as much playing time as Nwaneri is unlikely. Arteta likes having a solid defensive unit, and it looks as if his first-choice defence of Gabriel, William Saliba, Jurrien Timber and Ben White is here to stay. Coupled with the signing of Riccardo Califiori, Lewis-Skelly is likely to fill the bench for most of the season.
However, chances will be given if Arsenal can continue their progress in the League Cup or have a deep FA Cup run when he is likely to play a major part.
Tommy Setford
Anyone who is a keen Football Manager player will know that Tommy Setford is one of the most highly rated goalkeepers in the game, and that potential seems to have carried over to real life.
Signed by Ajax last summer, Setford has already made his Arsenal debut when keeping goal in Arsenal’s League Cup success against Preston.
He is very much one for the future. He is currently behind Neto in the goalkeeping pecking order, but few would be surprised if he supplants the Brazilian next season.
Likely to be built up as David Raya’s heir apparent, Arsenal fans can expect to see more of their young keeper in the latter rounds of the League Cup or early stages of the FA Cup.
Nathan Butler-Oyedeji
One player who might be a surprising name to some Arsenal fans is young midfielder Nathan Butler-Oyedeji.
At 21, Butler-Oyedeji is older than most on our list, but his impressive displays for the Arsenal Under 21s have seen him force his way onto the bench for the majority of Arsenal’s Champions League ties this season.
Yet to make his first full-team debut, he is certainly making his case with his goal-scoring exploits with the Arsenal youth teams. He has already spent time out on loan with Cheltenham Town last season, and it could be that in January, he might be sent out on loan again to gain more crucial playing time.
Josh Robinson
Like Butler-Oyedeji, Josh Robinson has been able to force his way onto the Arsenal bench for their Champions League matches, but he is yet to make his full first-team debut.
A consistent force for the Arsenal under 21’s, at just 19, time is certainly on his side, and he will hope to be provided an opportunity to show his qualities in Arsenal’s upcoming League Cup and FA Cup ties.
The Future Is Bright for Young Gunners
Thrusting young academy players into any Premier League team does need a slice of luck, and for many managers, rolling the dice as they would at Slotozilla Australia can be a gamble. However, for the first time since the glory days of Arsene Wenger, Arsenal looks to have a team and a manager that is capable of landing football’s biggest prizes.
Unlike some of its major title rivals, Arsenal lacks the financial muscle. To maintain its position on the top tables in England and Europe, Arsenal will need to utilize the talents within its academy.
Having produced a string of talents that have already performed at the highest level in the Premier League, there is a clear pathway to the first team from the academy, and there seems to be a whole influx of academy players who seem ready to make their breakthrough.
Arsenal hopes to maintain the success the team has achieved in the past two seasons, and in order to do so, Arsenal’s academy graduates will need to continue to shine.
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