K STRANGE MEMORIES
More than 20 years ago, Arsenal were the victims of a goal that is still being talked about in the British press: Wayne Rooney's goal (Everton, 17 years and 150 days), against the reigning champions (defending champions) of the English Premier League. That was in March 2003. Now, Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly (18 years and 129 days) has become the youngest player since Rooney to score against the reigning champions (Manchester City). Strangely enough, within a few dozen minutes, Lewis-Skelly's glorious achievement was overshadowed by his teammate Ethan Nwaneri. Nwaneri was only 17 years and 318 days old when he scored the winning goal in Arsenal's 5-1 victory over Manchester City.
Nwaneri talented young player of Arsenal
Scoring goals is important, of course. But the confidence and maturity of Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri is even more commendable. Not only did Lewis-Skelly not look out of place in the starting lineup in a top-flight game, he also showed brilliant form, worthy of being called the best player of the match. At left-back, he calmly dribbled past opponents in really difficult situations. He passed accurately 92.0% of the time (the average figure since the beginning of the season is up to 95.4%). Of the players who have played at least 45 minutes in the Premier League this season, Lewis-Skelly is the player with the highest pass accuracy rate. And despite playing in defense, Lewis-Skelly often makes highly attacking passes. Against Manchester City, only two Arsenal players passed the ball to striker Kai Havertz more than this defender. In 553 minutes of Premier League football this season, Lewis-Skelly has yet to be dribbled past by an opponent. He also has the highest duels won rate in the league (among players who have contested 25 or more duels).
And, as mentioned, Lewis-Skelly also… scored, against the defending champions. It was Lewis-Skelly’s first major goal for Arsenal. Again: he’s a full-back. What about Nwaneri?
AFFECTS GAMEPLAY
At just 17, Nwaneri is Arsenal's number one player this season in a number of key statistics: shots taken; shots on target; goals scored - all measured by minutes played, of course. On average, Nwaneri takes 3.20 shots per 90 minutes, with 1.67 accurate and 0.97 goals scored. He has played 647 minutes this season, across all competitions. His shot accuracy (52.17%) and goals per shot (30.43%) are both the highest in the team. At Nwaneri's age, only two other players have scored more goals than him in Premier League history. They are Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen - both notorious "prodigies".
Everyone knows: Arsenal is currently a team… without a true striker. This is the major weakness that has prevented Mikel Arteta’s team from becoming a real title contender. Arteta himself tried to find a striker in the mid-season transfer window, but was unsuccessful. So, in the short term, Nwaneri could be an important solution. He is an attacking midfielder, but prefers to play as a winger. As mentioned, Nwaneri’s qualities show that he is very suitable for the task of scoring goals.
With Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly on the rise, Arsenal not only have two of the brightest young stars in Europe at the moment, but they are also two important tactical solutions for coach Arteta, when Arsenal suddenly face difficulties in terms of force or playing style. Thanks to the rise of these two young talents, Arsenal is the team with the most goalscorers in the Premier League today.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hai-bau-vat-tre-tuoi-cua-arsenal-185250204215232027.htm
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