Arsenal are back in action this evening, as the Gunners take a short trip to east London to face West Ham United in the Carabao Cup.
It’s another tie against Premier League opposition for Mikel Arteta’s side, who overcame Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium last time out in the cup back in September.
In David Moyes’ Hammers, the north Londoners face another challenge during the gruelling winter schedule, however, the manager may still opt to rotate his side, with fixtures coming thick and fast.
Arsenal team news against West Ham
While Arsenal remain unbeaten in the top flight, not everything has been straightforward for the Gunners so far this season, with injuries arising early on into the campaign.
Arteta was without striker Gabriel Jesus for the start of the term due to a recurring knee injury, and a few weeks later lost Thomas Partey to a groin problem, inducing rotation in both the midfield and front line.
Identical woes struck the squad last week, as the manager confirmed that the duo are set to be out of action for the next few weeks, leaving gaps once more in the favoured XI.
In his pre-match press conference ahead of the trip to the London Stadium, Arteta also revealed that captain Martin Odegaard has been struggling with a slight hip issue, adding to the strain on squad fitness.
Injuries aside, the boss could be prompted to rotate his side regardless, with a huge Premier League match-up against Newcastle United coming on Saturday, however rotation hasn’t done the Gunners any harm this season.
The evidence that suggests Ethan Nwaneri should start against West Ham
Last time out in the Carabao Cup, Arteta showcased a heavily changed XI to face Brentford, including handing a first senior start to academy starlet Charles Sagoe Jr.
It was rotational forward Reiss Nelson who scored the winner on the night in west London, proving that the reward can be higher than just resting key players when changes are made.
The manager could play the same card by using the cup fixture to unleash an academy star tonight, with the shining faces of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly spotted in first-team training this week.
At 16 years old, Nwaneri is a highly-rated member of the scene at Hale End, highlighted by Arsenal’s desperation to lock his future down with a scholarship deal this summer that will become a professional contract when he turns 17 in March 2024.
The attacking midfielder became the youngest player to ever play in the Premier League last season, coming on as a substitute against Brentford at the age of just 15, suggesting how highly Arteta rates his talents.
In facing Premier League opposition tonight, the Spaniard could unleash the teen to promote squad rotation, and give the Englishman the chance to show his worth on the big stage once again.
It’s been a thrilling start to the season for Nwaneri, who has scored four goals and claimed one assist in only four Premier League 2 appearances, playing above his age range with the U21s.
Once lauded as “special” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, the England U18 international could offer the Gunners additional creativity in the midfield in the assumed absence of Odegaard.
Earlier this term in the Football League Trophy, the playmaking dynamo claimed an assist and registered four key passes against Swindon Town, reinforcing just how effective he can be behind the front line.
It would be a statement for Arteta to unleash the budding talent, in a switch in personnel that could prove to be a success for the north Londoners.