Former Arsenal man Jermaine Pennant has told Football FanCast that Mikel Arteta could face issues if he relies too much on Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly during the business end of the Premier League season.
Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly now first-team regulars
Lewis-Skelly is now a regular name on the teamsheet for the Gunners, with the 18-year-old featuring in nine of the last ten Premier League games, most notably scoring the third goal in the 5-1 demolition of Manchester City at the beginning of February.
Despite being just 17, Nwaneri has also made 15 Premier League appearances this season, receiving increased game time amid the absence of Bukayo Saka, and the teenager has picked up two goals and one assist in his last four matches.
Breaking into the Arsenal first team at such a young age is no mean feat, and the duo’s performances indicate they could go on to be key players for Arteta in the years to come, but there are some concerns about their suitability for a title race.
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Pennant skeptical about relying on youth
Speaking to Football Fancast, Pennant, who came through at Highbury at a similar age, has suggested it may be unwise to depend on the academy graduates as we enter the business end of the season, despite how highly he rates the pair.
“Relying on youngsters going into a title dogfight, towards the end of the season, is not ideal. So it’s kind of a double-edged sword – it’s great because they’re fearless and going out there with youth and athleticism and they’re hungry to play.
“But then you’ve got, when it comes down to the crunch time, inexperience, how can you handle that? It’s going to be new territory, so yeah it’s a double-edged sword.”
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Arsenal’s upcoming Premier League fixtures |
Date |
|---|---|
|
West Ham (h) |
February 22nd |
|
Nottingham Forest (a) |
February 26th |
|
Man United (a) |
March 9th |
|
Chelsea (h) |
March 16th |
|
Fulham (h) |
April 1st |
Arteta’s side have a tough run of fixtures coming up, while they are also still to play Liverpool and Newcastle United in May, so it is understandable to have concerns about relying on young players.
However, the “fearless” duo have proven they can handle big matches already, setting a new record after both scoring in the 5-1 victory against Man City.
The potential return of Saka next month will allow Arteta to be a little less reliant on Nwaneri, but as suggested by Pennant, the lack of experience can also be a positive.
Having been uninvolved in the previous two title races, the young duo are less likely to be inhibited by the fear of failure, and they will be full of confidence after both putting in top-drawer performances against City earlier this month.
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2025-02-19 16:16:13
