Luke Littler might be grabbing the sporting headlines this week but Arsenal fans are more pleased with their own 17-year-old athlete.

Ethan Nwaneri has now started consecutive Premier League matches for the first time and repaid his thanks to Mikel Arteta by netting his fifth goal of the season when

His low drive was his second league strike of the season and his first away from home in the competition. He was fielded on the right wing with Bukayo Saka out with his hamstring injury.

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initially trialled Gabriel Martinelli in the role against Ipswich Town but it was who got the nod in the 3-1 away win at Brentford as Martinelli was switched over to the left. Nwaneri is a central attacking midfielder by trade but his versatility is a blessing for .

The teenager deserves a run in the side, and the injury to Saka’s back-up - Raheem Sterling - has given him that opportunity. He has shown he can be effective wherever he plays on the pitch.

He has scored three goals when played through the middle this season - all in the League Cup - but has also been just as productive on the flank. Martin Odegaard’s injury earlier this season raised concerns whether the squad had a go-to back-up in the attacking midfield role.

Similar feelings emerged upon the news that Saka had damaged his hamstring amid his nine goals and 13 assists this season, denoting him as the team’s most productive player. Nwaneri is allaying concerns.

It is perhaps a touch too early to hand him responsibility to work the middle in a Premier League game from the start right now given his lack of experience. But that will come in time and not much of it.

Nwaneri is showing maturity beyond his years and might be answering a few January questions. There had been reports Fabio Vieira was due to return to Arsenal to help bolster midfield numbers amid his season-long loan spell at Porto.

Those turned out to be misguided but the initial reaction from some supporters suggested they wouldn’t mind an extra midfield option. Martinelli recently branded Saka irreplaceable and that is correct.

Sterling must be frustrated by the fact that he would have surely been guaranteed minutes amid Saka’s injury but for his own setback. But he is not the future. Nwaneri very much is and can quite easily become the first-choice back-up if his trajectory follows its path.

Furthermore, it is clear Arsenal need bolstering in attack. There are thoughts that another top class winger might be sought after but the glaring hole is the centre-forward position.

Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus have only just reached double figures for Premier League goals between them, and it’s January. Alexander Isak, meanwhile, has just scored in a seventh consecutive league game for Newcastle against Tottenham.

He has 13 Premier League goals on his own in 18 games. That kind of rate of fire is something that would make Arsenal among the title favourites next season.

The Gunners would do well in making him their marquee target in the summer, which will be costly. That might mean sacrificing reinforcements elsewhere, with Sterling set to return to Chelsea at the end of the campaign.

Nwaneri is showing he can be Saka’s back-up when needed, and perhaps Odegaard’s later down the line. That’s two transfer problems that would be solved, allowing Arsenal to go full steam for Isak.