Arteta wants to build Nwaneri's career brick by brick but the teenager has already earned the respect and trust of his senior players

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta admits it is becoming difficult to resist the temptation to throw teenage hot-shot Ethan Nwaneri into the title race. The 17-year-old became Arsenal’s second-youngest Premier League goal-scorer when he climbed off the bench to hit the third in the 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest.

That scenario gives rise to the prospect of Nwaneri making the left-eight midfield berth his own, alongside Odegaard, who operates on the right. Much of Odegaard’s success at Arsenal has come as a result of his relationship with Saka. Their partnership is the centre-piece of the Arsenal attack.