Ethan Nwaneri burst onto the scene for Arsenal when he made his debut at just 15. The now 17-year-old was finally getting a run of games for the Gunners and scoring in the Premier League against Brighton & Hove Albion. However, he had to be taken off at halftime against the Seagulls due to a muscle injury and is set to be out for weeks.
Nwaneri’s injury is unfortunate for Arsenal as they also have Bukayo Saka on the sidelines with a hamstring problem. Mikel Arteta’s side was missing some creativity in their EFL Cup semi-final first-leg defeat to Newcastle United on Tuesday night. Here are three players that need to step up for the Gunners.
Raheem Sterling
Raheem Sterling was left on the bench against Newcastle, and his loan from Chelsea is not working out. He has made 11 appearances for Arsenal this season and scored just once — which was in an EFL Cup match against League One side Bolton Wanderers.
Sterling is a very experienced player who has won Premier League titles with Manchester City. However, at the age of just 30, he seems to be burned out after making his debut for Liverpool when he was 17 years old. This could be a warning for Nwaneri, who is now playing first-team soccer at the same age.
You do not become a bad player overnight, and Sterling managed eight goals with four assists in 31 Premier League games for Chelsea last season. We are only halfway through this campaign, and Sterling may still have a part to play for Arsenal.
He needs to rediscover his form, as his future is uncertain. It does not look like the Gunners will extend his stay right now, and it is unlikely that Chelsea will reintegrate him into their roster. Although, his contract at Stamford Bridge still runs until 2027.
Kai Havertz
Kai Havertz missed a great chance with a header to score against Newcastle. He is predominantly used as a striker for Arsenal but did finish the EFL Cup semi-final playing on the right. This allowed Gabriel Jesus to play centrally.
Havertz has scored seven goals in the Premier League this season. However, he is often written off by fans as he has never scored more than 20 league goals in a single campaign — his best was 13 last season. With Nwaneri out, Havertz could fill in on the right-wing as the Gunners are in desperate need of some creativity and someone who can put the ball in the back of the net.
Leandro Trossard
Leandro Trossard started in the right-wing position against Newcastle but had to be taken off after just 59 minutes for Jesus. He is predominantly a left-winger but might have to get used to playing on the opposite flank in Nwaneri’s absence.
Trossard scored 12 Premier League goals last season but has so far managed just three in this campaign. The Belgian international needs to step up otherwise, he may be off to the Saudi Pro League sooner than expected.
