Mikel Arteta is struggling to ignore this Arsenal player as Nottingham Forest decision beckons

Arsenal's 2024/25 season has been something of a frustrating one so far. The Gunners are fourth in the Premier League, with Mikel Arteta's side winless in the league in four matches.

Still, the north Londoners are in the quarter-final of the Carabao Cup and in a good position to qualify for the Champions League round of 16. With a favourable set of fixtures to come in the Premier League, Arteta will be hoping his side can go on a run to close the gap on table toppers Liverpool.

With the busy festive period fast approaching, it's vital Arteta uses as many of his players as possible so the squad stays fresh and injury-free. One player who will be hoping for even more game time is Ethan Nwaneri.

It's now been more than two years since Nwaneri made his debut against Brentford at the age of 15, becoming the Premier League's youngest ever player in the process. The now 17-year-old has since established himself as a member of Arsenal's first team and not only does he regularly train with the senior players, the teenager has been named in every possible matchday squad this campaign.

"He's a big talent, he's got the right attitude, he's got the right players and context around him and we need to make sure that we put brick by brick in the right tempo, in the right order, but we have some player there," Arteta said when asked about Nwaneri in October. "He's going to really dictate how fast that's going to go, but I'm really, really happy with him.

"There's so much personality there. He wants to impose himself, he wants every ball, he wants to make things happen. Outside around the boy, he's still a bit quiet, as is usual for a 17-year-old.

"But he's very respectful, his work ethic is tremendous and he loves what he does, you can tell that. I think he is showing every day what he is capable of. You see his teammates, they are giving him the ball all the time, that's a great sign. So we have some player there."

While Arteta is obviously a huge admirer of Nwaneri's talents, the Spaniard has been reluctant to use the Englishman too much so far. He has made just eight appearances, with only two of those starts.

The attacking midfielder has impressed in his 230 minutes on the pitch, however. He has scored three goals, with all of those coming in the Carabao Cup. The pick of the bunch came against Preston in October, with the teenager finding the top corner from 25 yards out.

"At 17 years old to be in the position he is, in one of the biggest clubs in Europe sums up his level," Arteta said in the days after the clash. "At the moment he wants it a lot and he is surrounded by the right people.

"It is rare to see talent like this at 17 years old. When he made his debut in the Premier League, he was good. We know the pathway we want with him and we want to send him a message of how much we trust him and believe in him."

With Nwaneri capable of playing in Arsenal's midfield, and even as a right winger, there should be plenty of minutes on offer in the coming weeks and months. Many supporters are calling for Arteta to use the youngster more regularly, with Nwaneri's performances just becoming too good to ignore.

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