In terms of optimal outcomes, Wednesday night’s win over Bolton was about as close to ideal as we could have hoped for.
Securing passage to the fourth round was the goal, of course, but in terms of offering our promising young stars a platform to showcase what they can do, in terms of getting some minutes into our squad players, in terms of resting our over-worked first-team stars – we could scarcely have hoped for better.
The plaudits on the night will go to Ethan Nwaneri, our midfield maestro who has been knocking hard on the door of the first team for some time. Two goals and an assured performance in the heart of midfield would have exceeded even his wildest dreams I’m sure but it was very much ‘I have arrived’ performance.
He will face much sterner tests of his abilities in the months ahead of course but it is to his great credit that he took the opportunity offered to him by the manager in fine style. The question now is whether he can translate that type of performance on to the Premier League stage. For me, it may still be a little early but nobody can deny his talent, application or willingness to work.
There were also encouraging performances on the night for Miles Lewis Skelly at left back and Josh Nicholls at right back. Both youngsters looked assured and contributed manfully to the result. It was a big night for Jack Porter in the home goal too, with the 16-year-old becoming the youngster stopper in the Gunners’ history. The likes of Lewis Skelly and Nwaneri are much further along their own paths to first team football but it was sure to have been an unforgettable night for the young man, whatever comes next in his career.
Cameos for Maldini Kacurri and Ismeal Kabia completed an outstanding night for Arsenal’s Hale End academy, the type of showcase evening it has craved for a long time but had rarely been seen under Mikel Arteta.
Aside from the young guns, there was also so much-needed minutes for Jakob Kiwior and Riccardo Calafiori in defence and Raheem Sterling on the wing. Sterling, in particular, was excellent on the night and clearly much sharper than many of us had assumed. Leaving aside the standard of the opposition, the England ace was superb, with sharp movement and direct running that caused Bolton nightmares all evening.
A goal and an assist for Sterling was handsome reward for a brilliant performance and, from an Arsenal perspective, an encouraging sign that he is ready to contribute seriously this season. As an option from the bench, his experience and know-how could be match-winning in a tight spot.
While this was unlikely to be Arsenal’s sternest test of the season, it was a match that needed winning and we won well. More than just goals, we saw some excellent performances and some encouraging signs for the future too. Perfect.
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