Ethan Nwaneri compared to Phil Foden and Cole Palmer by Arsenal team-mate as teenage star's breakout season rolls on

Opening up about his experiences playing with the likes of Palmer and Foden at Manchester City, the Gunners forward predicted big things for Arsenal's youngest star, saying he looked forward to watching him "grow". Jesus placed Nwaneri in the same category as some of the most "special youngsters" he's observed in training over the years.

Nwaneri said: "I have been with some very special youngsters, like Phil and Cole — and also James McAtee at City, he is also very good. So to see Ethan in training and in the game is good, because I am a fan of football... when I see someone young with this quality, I am happy and then obviously I want him to grow, grow, grow. Then if he needs something from me personally, I am here to help him because I am 27.”

Nwaneri was Arsenal's star man against Preston in the Carabao Cup in midweek, grabbing the Gunners' second goal in an easy 3-0 victory. More broadly, the teenage midfielder has taken big strides this season, stunning Mikel Arteta with his performance in the middle of the park. In total, he's made four Premier League appearances and notched up several impressive cup displays.

The Premier League's youngest-ever player — who made his league debut aged just 15 years and 181 days old — smashed another record recently as he became the youngest player to score in his first two starts for Arsenal. The 17-year-old will be hoping that over the course of the 2024-25 campaign, his influence on the Gunners' first team can continue to grow.