"It's going to unlock that thing mentally" - Mikel Arteta says he expects Arsenal star to 'move on' after performance against Preston

Mikel Arteta hailed youngster Ethan Nwaneri following his excellent showing for Arsenal in their 3-0 win against Preston North End in the League Cup on Wednesday, October 30. The Gunners made their way to the quarter-finals of the domestic cup competition with a strong performance against the Championship side at Deepdale.

Gabriel Jesus scored his first goal since January to break the deadlock in the 24th minute. Nwaneri doubled the visitors' lead in the 33rd minute while substitute Kai Havertz rounded off the scoring in the 57th minute.

Nwaneri caught the eye with his excellent technical ability as well as his tenacity. The young midfielder covered a lot of ground and worked hard to help Arsenal secure a place in the League Cup quarter-finals.

Following the game, Mikel Arteta singled out the 17-year-old for praise and tipped him for a bright future. The Spaniard was quoted as saying by The Independent:

“He did it yesterday in training too, so we’re getting used to that. He’s a big talent, he’s got the right attitude, he’s got the right players and context around him and we need to make sure that we put brick by brick in the right tempo, in the right order, but we have some player there.”

“He’s going to really dictate how fast that’s going to go, but I’m really, really happy with him. There’s so much personality there. He wants to impose himself, he wants every ball, he wants to make things happen. Outside around the boy, he’s still a bit quiet, as is usual for a 17-year-old," Arteta added.

The Gunners boss concluded:

“But he’s very respectful, his work ethic is tremendous and he loves what he does, you can tell that. I think he is showing every day what he is capable of. You see his teammates, they are giving him the ball all the time, that’s a great sign. So we have some player there.”

Nwaneri holds the record for being the youngest Premier League player ever. He came on as a substitute in Arsenal's 3-0 win against Brentford two years ago when he was 15 years and 181 days old.

The teenager has tasted 193 minutes of first-team action across competitions for Arsenal this season, scoring thrice. He netted a brace in the Gunners' 5-1 win over Bolton Wanderers in the previous round of the League Cup last month.

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Pundit urges Arsenal to sign Premier League star: Reports

Former Liverpool and Arsenal winger Jermaine Pennant urged the Gunners to make a move for Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak. The Sweden international has been the subject of interest from several clubs, following his exploits at St James' Park.

Isak scored 25 goals in 40 appearances across competitions last season to come under Chelsea and Arsenal's radar. Pennant wants Mikel Arteta to launch a move for the former Borussia Dortmund and Real Sociedad attacker.

He was quoted as saying by Tribal Football:

"He's just come back from an injury, so he's probably a little bit off the boil. But when he's fully fit, we've seen what he can do. He's prolific, he knows the back of the net, when he's match-fit."

The ex-Liverpool winger added:

"I think all-round he is probably better than Havertz, though they're similar players in style. I just think he acts a little bit quicker and better around the box and I think he will fit in just like a glove at Arsenal."

Isak has scored three times in nine games across competitions this season.