Nwaneri has been getting regular starts in all competitions since the turn of the new year, with eight goals and an assist to his name from 28 appearances this season. With Arsenal suffering a number of injuries which effectively ended their title race, the teenager has more than stepped up under manager Mikel Arteta who will see a bright future for the Gunners.
The 17-year-old has been playing right wing for Arsenal in the absence of England regular Saka and has seized the opportunity so far. He is arguably one of Europe’s most exciting youngsters, progressing through the academy with his friend and teammate Myles Lewis-Skelly who got the call up to the England squad by new manager Thomas Tuchel on Friday morning.
Nwaneri missed out of the squad but will likely feature for the youth side during the international break. Reports have claimed that he could rival the record of Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney, whose joint record of nine goals scored for a Premier League club before turning 18 is under threat. However, this weekend he could break two records in his last appearance for Arsenal before he turns 18 years old.
No player under the age of 18 has ever scored in a Premier League London derby and Nwaneri could make history with a goal in front of the home crowd at the Emirates on Sunday afternoon. After scoring 3 goals in 18 Premier League appearances this season, it is more than possible that he may break this record that will surely be on his mind as he steps out on to the pitch against a Chelsea side who are hoping for their fifth win in a row.
This weekend also allows him to break another record held for over 20 years. The only player to score against Chelsea under the age of 18 in the competition is James Milner for Leeds in December 2002 (16y 358d). For nearly 23 years this record has been held by Milner who became the second-youngest player ever to play in the Premier League, at the age of 16 years and 309 days, second to Nwaneri at 15 years and 181 days old.
On 26 December 2002, at 16 years and 356 days, he became the youngest player to score in the Premier League, with a goal in a 2–1 win against Sunderland. Two days later he maneuvered past Chelsea defender Marcel Desailly and finished in the bottom right corner. Nwaneri has the chance to break that record before he turns 18 on the 21st of March, which brings the start of the international break.
Both Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly have impressed so much for Arsenal, that they’ve already been elevated into the senior picture, despite neither featuring for the under-21s at any point in their short careers so far. Arsenal have scored in every game against Chelsea since August 2021 and if they were to break their clean sheet this Sunday, many would place their money on Nwaneri who currently poses the most threat in front of goal for Arteta’s exciting young side.