“Wanted to see that guy ball”, “Thought he was going to get some minutes” - Arsenal fans baffled as highly-rated player misses Burnley clash
Arsenal fans are surprised Ethan Nwaneri has failed to make Mikel Arteta's matchday squad to face Burnley today (February 17).
The Gunners travel to Turf Moor to continue their title challenge amid an impressive recent run of results. Arteta's men are on a four-match winning streak, including victories against Liverpool (3-1) and West Ham United (6-0).
Arteta has named the same starting lineup that thrashed the Hammers at the London Stadium last weekend. David Raya starts in goal, with Ben White, Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba, and Jakub Kiwior in defense.
Meanwhile, Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, and Kai Havertz continue in midfield. Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli line up in attack once again.
Nwaneri, 16, came on in the 77th minute of Arsenal's victory against West Ham. He's the Premier League's youngest-ever player after making his debut back in 2022 in a 3-0 win against Brentford.
The English attacking midfielder is regarded as one of the brightest young talents at the Emirates. He's starred for the club's U21's bagging four goals and as many assists in 18 games across competitions.
Arteta has previously heralded Nwaneri and compared him to former Gunners midfield maestro Jack Wilshere. He said (via The Athletic):
"Something unique that he’s got that I really liked from the beginning is his ability to take the ball in tight areas, to escape a little bit like Jack Wilshere used to do."
However, there's no place for Nwaneri in Arsenal's matchday squad to face Burnley. James Sweet instead is named on Arteta's bench and could make his senior debut today.
Sweet, 20, has been impressing with the U21s, posting three goals and two assists in 24 games across competitions. It looks as though the Welsh right-back is ready to make the step up to the first team.
Fans are disappointed not to see Nwaneri named in the matchday squad and one wanted to see him in action:
"Where is Nwaneri? I wanted to see that guy ball, and who’s sweet?"
Another expected the England U17 international to be handed some minutes against Burnley:
"Where’s Nwaneri?? I thought he was going to get some minutes today."
Here's how fans on X (formerly Twitter) reacted to Arteta's decision:
Who is Arsenal youngster James Sweet?
Sweet's path to Arsenal began with EFL League Two outfit AFC Wimbledon. He claims to have trained with the Dons while at school before also spending short spells at Fulham and Chelsea.
However, there was no doubt that Arsenal were the club of his dreams, and when he heard they were interested he couldn't turn them down. He told the club's official website:
"I knew once they wanted to sign me, I wanted to join, and my parents believed it would be the best club for me. Being a lifelong Arsenal fan, the opportunity to play for the club I support is a dream come true."
Sweet particularly impressed Gunners youth coach Dan Micciche in the U18s' 1-1 draw against Birmingham City last year (via Jeorge Bird's Arsenal Youth):
"I thought he was our best player today. In the first half he won duels – in a game like this, on a pitch like this, that’s what you’ve got to do as a basic requirement. You have to earn the right to play and I thought he did that."
Sweet is a right-back who can also play at left-back and on both wings. He appeared for England's U17s on two occasions, before switching back to Wales nationality and making four appearances for their U19s.