Ethan Nwaneri impressed in his cameo off the bench. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)
Positive #2: Nwaneri impresses
The first half was so controlled by Arsenal’s starters that it almost became quite dull. Fans crave novelty in a July fixture, they want to seek fresh narratives, and Arteta certainly ramped up the intrigue after the break.
The Spaniard gave the kids a go to conclude the contest as Premier League record-breaker Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly, and Reull Walters were all introduced. Each offered glimpses of their talent, with Lewis-Skelly feeding Balogun in behind with a divine through ball for a chance that should’ve been converted before Walters prevented Arsenal from losing at the death with a key block.
However, it was Nwaneri that caught the eye of supporters with his fearless cameo. The 16-year-old took the contest by the scruff of the neck when he came on, showcasing why he’s so highly regarded within Arsenal’s youth set-up. He plucked high balls from the sky like it was second nature, swivelled beyond tacklers like he was Zizou, and constantly sought to be positive in possession.
Let’s see what he can do across the pond.
Negative #2: Waste of Balogun
While it was exciting to see the Gunners in action on Thursday, there were a couple of players supporters were particularly keen to keep a close eye on. One of those was Balogun, whose future at the club remains unclear following his excellent loan spell at Reims last season.
The young forward is set to be given a chance to impress Arteta this summer, but I was disappointed by the manager’s deployment of the USMNT star on Thursday.
Balogun entered proceedings just before the hour but was thrust out to the right flank where his impact was minimal. He’s by no means a winger – being deployed wide right just three times in his career – and it wasn’t until late on when he drifted into a more natural central position.
One of the two gilt-edged chances he squandered came after an excellent run which exploited the space in behind the Nurnberg defence.
Continued on the next slide…
three times</a> in his career – and it wasn’t until late on when he drifted into a more natural central position.</p>
<p>One of the two gilt-edged chances he squandered came after an excellent run which exploited the space in behind the Nurnberg defence.</p>
<p><em>Continued on the next slide…</em></p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/07/14/3-positives-negatives-arsenal-draw-nurnberg/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> #3 positive & negative </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-135364" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/07/14/3-positives-negatives-arsenal-draw-nurnberg/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1052,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1530148597.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="1052" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1530148597.jpeg 1600w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1530148597-850x560.jpeg 850w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1530148597-768x505.jpeg 768w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1530148597-1536x1010.jpeg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><p class="wp-caption-text">William Saliba was in action for the first time since March. (Photo by CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP via Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Positive #3: Saliba back in action</h2>
<p>As I noted, Arteta went strong to start Thursday’s game and it was a pleasant surprise seeing Saliba in the XI for the first time since March.</p>
<p>A lower back injury ended his stellar 2022/23 campaign prematurely, with his absence hindering the Gunners down the stretch.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, the silky defender is fit and firing once more; ready for a busy summer schedule. The Frenchman once again made the sport look incredibly easy on his first appearance back as he partnered Gabriel.</p>
<h2>Negative #3: Fabio Vieira fails to take chance</h2>
<p>There are a couple of negatives to discuss here, the first being the injury sustained by Martin Odegaard in the warm-up which thrust Vieira into the XI. The skipper picked up a calf issue and it remains to be seen whether he’ll spend any time on the sidelines.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, Odegaard’s injury handed Vieira a brilliant opportunity to impress after an indifferent debut season. However, it was more of the same from the Portuguese playmaker. Sure, there were tidy moments down the right, but he seems content with being a peripheral performer. It never seems as if he’s going to assert himself in the contest and grab it by the collar as Nwaneri did in the second half.</p>
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<p>It’s all a bit meek.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">
