SOME of Arsenal’s greatest young talents have made their names in the Carabao Cup.
You can add 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri to that list.
Under Arsene Wenger, Cesc Fabregas became the club’s youngest-ever first team starter at 16 years and 177 days in a third-round tie against Rotherham in October 2003, before becoming their youngest ever scorer two months later in the fourth round against Wolves.
In September 2008, Jack Wilshere made his first senior start and scored his first goal in a 6-0 third round thrashing of Sheffield United at 16 years and 266 days.
And last night against Bolton, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta carried on that tradition by chucking more record-breaking Hale End academy teenagers into a third round clash.
Four of them got their first run-outs, meaning Arteta has now handed debuts to TWELVE academy players since taking over in December 2019 – but it was two-goal Nwaneri who stole the show.
Nwaneri clinched the title of youngest ever Prem player back in September 2022 with a substitute appearance away at Brentford at the age of 15 years and 181 days.
And here at the Emirates, on his first senior start, the midfield starlet grabbed a goal either side of half time after Declan Rice’s 16th minute opener against the Trotters.
At 17 years and 188 days, Nwaneri is now Arsenal’s fourth youngest scorer of the 21st century, behind Fabregas, Wilshere and Arturo Lupoli.
Arteta had a headache in between the sticks with No.1 David Raya left out as a precaution due to a thigh knock, new-signing Neto cup tied and 18-year-old Tommy Setford injured too.
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So, at the age of 16 years and 72 days, fresh-faced Essex-born keeper Jack Porter became the youngest player to ever start a match for Arsenal, leap-frogging the great Fabregas.
Porter now also holds the record of Arsenal’s youngest goalie in their history by two years and is the second youngest player to feature in a senior match, behind Nwaneri.
In the 53rd minute, Porter’s clean sheet dreams were dashed without having to make a save – Aaron Collins rounding the youngster after a speedy counter.
And in all the Hale End excitement, Raheem Sterling’s first start since joining on loan from Chelsea this summer was slightly overshadowed, despite also getting on the scoresheet.
Porter and Nwaneri were two of NINE academy players in Arteta’s much-changed squad following Sunday’s Battle of the Etihad, with five in a starting line-up that had an average age of 22.7, including Bukayo Saka, Josh Nichols and Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Left-back Lewis-Skelly, 17, had an eventful senior debut against Manchester City last weekend – booked as a sub and squaring up to Erling Haaland at full-time, but earned his first start in this one while right-back Nichols, 18, made his full debut.
Fellow young Guns Ismeal Kabia, Maldini Kacurri, Ayden Heaven and Alexei Rojas made up a strong bench with defender Kacurri and winger Kabia, both 18, also making their debuts late on.
Raya, Jurrien Timber, Ben White and Leandro Trossard were left at home, but all eyes were on Porter in the early stages – a player who had only tasted U21s football for the first time in August.
With a nervy fifth minute first touch, he was left on his backside, but such was Arsenal’s dominance, Porter’s only real job before the break was to pick an offside goal out of his net.
Rice curled in a sweet effort from a Nichols cross not dealt with by Scott Arfield and Sterling teed up Nwaneri for a 37th minute tap-in.
Some poor play from the visitors out the back gifted Nwaneri a fairy tale second in the 49th minute before Sterling and Kai Havertz wrapped up a near-perfect night in North London, as Lewis-Skelly limped off with an injury on the hour mark.
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