15-year-old makes debut for Arsenal in easy win at Brentford

LONDON : Fifteen-year-old Ethan Nwaneri became the youngest player in Premier League history when he came on as a substitute for Arsenal as they returned to the top of the Premier League with a comfortable 3-0 win at Brentford on Sunday.

The Gunners are on 18 points from the opening seven matches of the season with defending champions Manchester City a point behind and North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur also on 17 points.

William Saliba headed the visitors in front in the 17th minute, rising to angle a corner from Bukayo Saka in off the far post.

Another header, 11 minutes later, doubled Arsenal's advantage with Grant Xhaka picking out Gabriel Jesus with a perfectly floated cross from the left which the Brazilian met powerfully.

The game was put beyond Brentford in the fourth minute after the break thanks to a wonderful strike from outside the box by Portuguese midfielder Fabio Vieira, which rattled in off the post.

Nwaneri, who is 15 years and 181 days old, came on as a substitute in the second minute of stoppage time, the first player under 16 to play in the competition.

The defeat leaves Brentford in ninth place on nine points.