17-year-old Nwaneri gives Arsenal hope of Saka’s replacement
“No-one can replace him. He is one of the best players in the world.” The foregoing Gabriel Martinelli’s comments about Bukayo Saka are telling as to just how much Arsenal depend on the England winger, how much they will miss him during the months he is absent because of a hamstring issue and how all of Arsenal’s front line must step up to replace him. That was the case in their 3-1 win over Brentford, where Arsenal came from behind thanks to goals from Gabriel Jesus and Martinelli, either side of Mikel Merino’s close-range strike. But while Jesus and Martinelli scored, it was the third member of the front triumvirate, 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri on his first Premier League start, who really impressed. Nwaneri, who made his Premier League debut as a 15-year-old at Brentford two years ago and has appeared 10 times as a sub in the league in 2024-25 before his start here, played key roles in Arsenal’s two goals in three second-half minutes.
