Nwaneri makes history with first Premier League goal

Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri put himself in the Premier League record books by becoming the first player born in 2007 to score in the competition, but where does he rank among the competition's youngest-ever scorers?

The 17-year-old came off the bench in the 82nd minute to net the third goal in Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest.

It was his first in the Premier League, as he entered the top 10 for the youngest players to score in the top flight.

At the age of 17 years and 247 days, Nwaneri is the ninth-youngest goalscorer in Premier League history. He is the second-youngest to do so in the competition for Arsenal, for whom Cesc Fabregas holds the record, at 17 years and 113 days against Blackburn Rovers in 2004.

Nwaneri was born on 21 March 2007, three days after Arsenal had gone down to a stoppage-time goal from Andrew Johnson for Everton at Goodison Park.

Breaking records

Nwaneri is already the youngest player in Premier League history and the first to play at 15, when he came on for the closing moments of Arsenal’s 3-0 win at Brentford in September 2022 at the age of 15 years and 181 days.

He had scored three goals in the EFL Cup for Arsenal this season, but with his first in the Premier League, Nwaneri knocked out of the top 10 the man who supplied the assist to him, Raheem Sterling.

Sterling had been 10th thanks to his goal for Liverpool in 2021 against Reading at the age of 17 years and 317 days.

Youngest Premier League goalscorers

His manager Mikel Arteta hailed Nwaneri's impact when he came on.

“What I like is that he comes in, in that context, the first thing he does is take a touch, run forward, run past two players and put it inches away from the post,” Arteta told the official Arsenal website.

'Must manage expectations'

But he expressed caution against those who call for Nwaneri to be given more starts in the Premier League and UEFA Champions League.

“I understand that, I am responsible for him, and you have to do that brick by brick,” he said. “Today he put in another brick, now we have to put the cement, make sure that it doesn’t get dry, so that he can put in another one and another one and that one is going to stick.

“Then we put one more layer, we want to put five in a row. Believe me, it won’t work and we have to manage that with his expectations and his load as well, which is really important.

“I will try to educate him, raise him, and give him the pathway that we believe is the best. His family, his agent, his friends, they will be very important as well. Don’t listen too much to the noise, focus on what he does which is to play football and he loves every minute of it and good things will happen to him for sure.”

Social support

Certainly, judging by the social media posts of team-mates including Sterling and Declan Rice and opposition players such as Southampton winger Tyler Dibling and Ipswich Town's Omari Hutchinson, Nwaneri has the support of many.

What next for Nwaneri?

Arsenal face a busy period of eight matches across all competitions in the lead up to Christmas, so Gunners' fans could expect to see more of the teenager.

Arteta's side are back in Champions League action this Tuesday when they visit a Sporting side unbeaten in the competition this season.

They then return to Premier League action with a London derby at West Ham United on Sunday 30 November before hosting Manchester United and their new head coach Ruben Amorim, on Wednesday 4 December.

Arsenals's eight fixtures before Christmas

* UEFA Champions League ** EFL Cup quarter-final