The new Fabregas: Arsenal have found a mega £150m star in the making

Arsenal need a striker. That’s probably the most obvious fact in football right now. Across their last two Premier League games they have failed to score, slumping 13 points behind Liverpool in the race for the title.

So, coming into their last-16 tie with PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League, there was little excitement, expectation, or noise surrounding the Gunners’ hopes of reaching the quarter-finals.

An away trip to the Philips Stadion hasn’t been kind to Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, having failed to win there during the course of their last five visits, dating back to 2002.

Well, a spark was found on Tuesday evening, one that was much needed considering the rut they’ve found themselves in.

This was an Arsenal side with purpose, with swagger, with energy. It was like watching the first few years of Arteta’s reign, just without Bukayo Saka in tow.

In truth, the performance in the Netherlands this week was nothing short of incredible. The Londoners came away from their European exploits with a 7-1 win. It was the biggest away win in the knock-out stages of the competition in its entire history.

The biggest positives from Arsenal’s win over PSV

This was a game full of excitement. That’s certainly not a sentence that had been true of Arsenal in February. Yet, a new month brings new hopes and Arteta’s side already have one foot in the door of the quarter-finals where either Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid await.

Nonetheless, let’s stay in the present for now as for once, the coaching staff have a number of positives.

The biggest was perhaps the return to form of Martin Odegaard. Before Tuesday, the Norwegian had just one open play goal all season but found the net twice in the second half to cap off what was probably his best display all term.

Declan Rice didn’t find himself on the scoresheet but he was a monster in the middle of the park. He never stopped running and was key in Arsenal opening the scoring, crossing to the back stick where Jurrien Timber made it 1-0 in his homeland.

Myles Lewis-Skelly did have to be withdrawn before the break in fear he would receive another red card, fortunate not to be shown a second yellow at one stage, but his replacement in Riccardo Calafiori only proved how strong Arsenal’s depth is.

Believe it or not, the Italian left-back found the net having surged down the right-hand channel, latching onto a delicious assist from Odegaard before finding the net on his weaker foot.

Also on the score sheet was Mikel Merino and Leandro Trossard but the biggest positive was undoubtedly Ethan Nwaneri again. We’re running out of superlatives for him…

Ethan Nwaneri’s defining night in Eindhoven

It’s hard to believe that this young lad is just 17 years of age. The footballing world has spoken at great length about Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal over the last year but Nwaneri is also on a path to stardom, having capped off a brilliant 2025 to date by scoring Arsenal’s second of the evening.

Since Saka’s hamstring injury, Arteta has needed players to stand up and in the teenage sensation, they have found another superstar.

Nwaneri is the club’s third-top scorer with eight this term, four of which have come since he became a regular starter during Saka’s absence.

Of course, they miss the Englishman’s dynamism in the final third but Hale End has produced another gem who’s proving he could be every bit as influential in the future.

The scorer of a goal in back to back Champions League ties now, it was another dazzling night for Nwaneri who is emulating some of the best young players we’ve seen in Europe.

Indeed, he became the second-youngest Arsenal player (17 years 348 days) to appear in a Champions League knockout stage game after Cesc Fabregas (17 years 309 days) while the talented youngster is the third English teenager to start a game in the knockout phases of Europe’s premier competition before turning 18 after Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden.

Like Bellingham, who starred for Dortmund in this tournament at the same age, he is certainly following in the £150m-rated megastar’s shoes.

In scoring on Tuesday, Nwaneri became the third youngest scorer in Champions League knockout history behind Bojan Krkic and Bellingham. It’s safe to say he’s pretty damn special.

So, what’s next for this audacious teen? Well, England could be calling. Thomas Tuchel soon names his first squad and you’d be hard-pressed to find many who suggest he isn’t deserving of a place.

After another night where the 17-year-old looked a class above everyone else on the pitch, the Three Lions and indeed Arsenal may have the next Bellingham on their hands; a big-money teenage superstar in the making who’s ready to take European and international football by storm.

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