Declan Rice, William Saliba reply to heartfelt message from Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri
Declan Rice and William Saliba replied to a heartfelt message from Arsenal teammate Ethan Nwaneri on social media.
The pressure is now well and truly on for Mikel Arteta, following his side’s third consecutive second-placed finish in the Premier League.
Perhaps the most telling performance of the entire campaign came against PSG, where Arsenal looked second-best in both legs of their Champions League semi-final, and ultimately fell 3-1 on aggregate.
The Gunners are expected to recruit heavily in the summer, with Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres being lined up to fill the void that exists at the number nine position.
However, one major positive from this season has been the emergence of Nwaneri, who was forced into a starting role thanks to Bukayo Saka‘s injury and blossomed, despite having little experience playing as a right-winger.
Ethan Nwaneri thanks Arsenal fans
Following their final league game of the season, Nwaneri posted a montage of highlights from his breakout season on Instagram, captioned: “A season to remember – Thank you all for the support”.
Rice then replied by saying: “just the start” whilst Saliba responded by saying “crack” with a diamond emoji.
Mikel Arteta must find way to fit Ethan Nwaneri, Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka in same side
Football Insider Verdict
Next season will be the ultimate test to see how wedded Arteta is to the 4-3-3 system he has employed for nearly all of his time as Arsenal manager.
The structure has allowed the Spaniard to give Martin Odegaard the ability to roam the right-hand side, whilst also allowing Saka the opportunity to explore spaces in the middle of the pitch as he pleases.
But with Nwaneri emerging as one of the greatest English talents of the 21st century, Arteta must find a place for the youngster as a regular starter.
| 2024/25 Premier League stats | Nwaneri |
| Appearances | 26 |
| Starts | 11 |
| Goals | 4 |
| Assists | 2 |
| Minutes | 889 |
The former Gunners captain could place him at left centre-midfield, but in doing so, the 18-year-old may be hampered by the expectation of fulfilling more defensive work than is beneficial to his skillset.
Alternatively, Arteta could take inspiration from Arne Slot and move to a 4-2-3-1 formation that allows Nwaneri to play behind a striker.
Whatever the Spaniard settles on, his starting XI to begin the season must see the 18-year-old, Saka, and Odegaard start together, or else it may be another campaign of missed opportunities for the North London club.