Arsenal won all 3 points at Leicester's King Power Stadium in the context of a serious shortage of strikers. Midfielder Mikel Merino's double relieved the tension that was overwhelming on captain Mikel Arteta.
As predicted before the match, Arsenal's attack has 3 stars: Raheem Sterling, Leandro Trossard and Ethan Nwaneri. Arteta started all three but only Nwaneri kept the full 90 minutes. The young striker had an assist to help Merino jump high to head the opening goal.
Merino described that pass as being practiced many times by the Nwaneri after last month's win over Girona in the UEFA Champions League. Despite scoring many goals for The Gunners since the beginning of the season, that was the 17-year-old striker's first assist.
"He is one of the few players who makes a difference every time he has the ball in his feet. Nwaneri always leaves more threats against the opposition defence than the rest of the team" - Arteta commented on his student.
As a right winger, Nwaneri gave Arteta a first day of light work with a relatively good performance. He caused the opponent's defense to stumble many times, forcing him to commit fouls after skillful dribbles. When the first half ended, the English star had a 100% success rate in thefts, tackles and one-on-one disputes.
When the match ended, Nwaneri had another assist. Not only that, he also shook Leicester's goal, almost scoring his own goal. Nwaneri has a good left foot, but in his trip to King Power, this young star also used his right foot very proficiently in many dribbles. Nwaneri's increasingly perfected skill set makes Arteta very satisfied.
Another positive point for Nwaneri that is very beneficial for Arsenal is his ability to play in many positions. This young striker can play in midfield or wing with impressive opening shots. With such a versatile player, the Gunners' tactics will be more diverse. In the context of a devastated attack, having many tactical styles at this time will make Arteta more flexible.
After the victory over Leicester, Arsenal will have the London Derby against West Ham in round 26 at Emirates Stadium. This is not a difficult challenge, it will probably continue to help Arteta find a solution like Nwaneri before the pillars gradually return.
