Arsenal sealed a last-gasp win over Leicester City to earn a hard-fought three points in the Premier League.
Coming off the back of away tests against Tottenham and Manchester City, Mikel Arteta’s side returned to N5 in the Premier League to battle Leicester City.
Just as it seemed as though Arsenal were cruising thanks to first half goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard, the Foxes found a way back into the fixture.
A James Justin brace kept the scoreline level right up until the 94th minute, before a Wilfred Ndidi own goal and a Kai Havertz tap in handed the hosts three points in the dying embers.
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Theo Walcott praises Arsenal starlet Ethan Nwaneri for cameo vs Leicester City
After Manchester City dropped points to Newcastle United in the early kick off on Saturday afternoon, Arsenal’s objective was made even clearer.
It almost looked as though Arteta’s side had disappointingly fluffed their lines at home, with Ndidi’s late own goal and Havertz’s tap in saving the day.
While the two goals in the dying embers will steal the headlines, former Arsenal winger Theo Walcott reserved big praise for one star who made a great impression with his 17-minute cameo.
“The great thing that comes from him is he’s fearless and confident on the ball,” Walcott pinpointed about Nwaneri.
“From his first few touches you see that he’s direct, wants to commit players, gets shots away, the end product is there.”
Late on in the fixture, the 17-year-old brought a tireless energy, with Walcott encapsulating Nwaneri’s cameo perfectly by branding him ‘fearless’.
“This man has got a very good career ahead of him,” the ex-Arsenal star said, rounding off his assessment of the teenager, who had a memorable week in Arteta’s squad.
Nwaneri’s stats against Leicester
It’s unsurprising that Arteta called on Nwaneri to inject some magic into the game late on, given the extent that the Englishman impressed in mid-week.
Nwaneri scored his first senior goals for the Gunners in the EFL Cup third-round win over Bolton on Wednesday night, carrying his form into the weekend ready to threaten the Foxes.
The teen had another near-perfect time on the pitch at the Emirates, completing 100% of his attempted passes, long balls and dribbles against Leicester, via Sofascore.
Despite only having 10 touches on the ball, Nwaneri made them count, echoing Walcott’s praise regarding the 17-year-old’s ability to produce an end product.
Only time will tell how long it will take for the attacking midfielder to earn his full Premier League debut under Arteta, with the youngster doing all he possibly can to impress the boss.
