Mikel Arteta praised Arsenal -young Ethan Nwaneri when his goal against Girona Arsenal helped to secure a place in the last 16 of the Champions League.
Arnaut Danjuma had given Girona a 28th minute ahead before Jorginho restored the parity of the penalty place after Thomas Pardeny was polluted by Arnau Martinez.
And the victory was sealed three minutes before the break when Nwaneri cut brilliantly from the right before he sent a left-foot attempt past Pau Lopez.
On 17-year-old and 314 days old, he became the second-jongest Englishman who scored in a Champions League match after Jude Bellingham (17y 289D-Borussia Dortmund against Manchester City in April 2021.
During the competition, Nwaneri also had the joint shots (three, level with Raheem Sterling) for Arsenal, while the nine crosses of the young people were the most for the Gunners.
Nwaneri has impressed Arsenal in the absence of Bukayo Saka, and Arteta praised the Nwaneri display on the Estadi Montilivi on Wednesday.
“That is what we like about him, he is willing to take the initiative to make things happen,” Arteta told reporters.
“He is very aggressive when he has the ball and so confident, because he had a different action, a very similar, he made the right choice, he went for it.
“In principle, he has the capacity to finish from every corner, and it was a very important goal.
“It's very natural for him, you can see how he takes the touches, how he makes people and then the technique he has, he is so precisely in his finish, often in that situation and the outcome will be good.”
17 – Ethan Nwaneri (17y 314d) Tonight the second youngest Englishman to score a UEFA Champions League goal, after Jude Bellingham (17y 289d against Manchester City in April 2021). Special. pic.twitter.com/gh7fvie1fz
– Optajoe (@Optajoe) January 29, 2025
Arsenal saw the result third in the Champions League table, which means a potential draw with Juventus, Feyenoord, PSV or AC Milan in the last 16 waiting.
Arsenal has now been claimed in the Champions League of the group phase / competition phase in each of their last 16 seasons, and for the last time to reach the knockout rounds (when they appear in the competition) in 2002-03.
But Arteta had to do this without the first-choice goalkeeper David Raya in his ranks, where the Spaniard was not included in the team for their victory over Girona.
Instead, Brazilian Neto made his debut for the Gunners and this weekend Deputivating for their enormous collision against Manchester City in the Premier League.
“He (Raya) could certainly not play, he was injured and that's it. Let's see how things are going,” said Arteta.
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