Mikel Arteta Reveals Reason for Ethan Nwaneri’s Half-Time Substitution Against Brighton

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The 17-year-old was taken off at half-time at the Amex Stadium.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has revealed that Ethan Nwaneri was substituted at half-time during Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Brighton due to a muscular issue. The 17-year-old winger had opened the scoring for Arsenal in the 16th minute but was taken off at the break, raising concerns about his fitness.

Arteta confirmed the substitution, stating, “It’s really bad news because I think we’ve lost him. We had to take him off at half-time with some muscular issues.” This injury comes as a significant blow to Arsenal, who have already been dealing with a number of injuries and illnesses this season.

Nwaneri’s impressive start to the season had seen him score his second Premier League goal before turning 18, making him the first player to achieve this feat for Arsenal. His absence will undoubtedly be felt, and Arteta will need to rely on other players to step up in his absence.

The manager added, “It’s not how much we want it, the effort we put in today was more about probably, the freshness and the quality we have to deliver in that second-half to dominate the game much better, but I understand that as well to be fair.” Arteta’s decision to substitute Nwaneri was a precautionary measure to prevent further injury.

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