"Unbelievable" - Arsenal: Mikel Arteta blown away by "big talent" v Preston North End | OneFootball

The teenager once again showed why he is such an exciting prospect.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has described 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri as "unbelievable" after his wonderstrike against Preston North End in the EFL Cup.

Despite a heavily changed team, Arsenal had no issues with getting past their Championship opposition in last night's fourth round tie of the EFL Cup.

They walked away from Deepdale with a 3-0 victory, no new injury concerns, and some more encouraging fitness news on the likes of Gabriel, Jurrien Timber, and Martin Odegaard.

Ben White also missed out against Preston due to an issue that was lingering after Arsenal's draw with Liverpool, but his replacement, and all of the others that came into the starting XI, did exactly what they needed to.

One of those changes to the first team saw Nwaneri step into the position usually taken up by Odegaard, and boy did he take his chance to impress.

He netted the second goal of the evening, in the 33rd minute, with a cultured, curling effort that would've hit the stanchion, if there was one to be hit in the North End net.

The strike, itself, was majestic, but the little movements and shoulder checks that the 17-year-old made that allowed him to get into the position to unleash the shot was just as impressive.

Mikel Arteta: very pleased with Ethan Nwaneri's performance

Arteta spoke glowingly of the teenager after the game and stated that he is really happy with the way that Nwaneri is developing.

"It is unbelievable, but he does it in training almost every day, so we’re getting used to it," said the Gunners' boss, via The Athletic. "He’s got this quality, this personality, he’s there to make things happen. He doesn’t care who is around him, if he needs to make the decision on his own, he does it.

"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 go brick by brick. He’s going to really dictate how that’s going to go, but I’m really, really happy with him."

The applause for Nwaneri didn't just come from the away dugout at Deepdale. Preston manager Paul Heckingbottom said that he believed the teenager's goal was unstoppable.

"The second goal is fantastic. Watching it back, I don’t think you will find a way to stop that," claimed Heckingbottom, via the Lancashire Evening Press.

Ethan Nwaneri is making a case for a starting spot

The two other goals on Wednesday night were scored by more seasoned pros, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz. The latter has really found his form since moving to the Emirates, and he has knocked the Brazilian out of the starting line-up.

Because of the injury to Odegaard that was suffered in the September international break, while he was playing for Norway, Havertz and Leandro Trossard have interchangeably held down the captain's position. Last night's performance by Nwaneri could be enough to earn him a starting spot, in the league, as Arsenal's number 10.

The name of the young midfielder has been in the mainstream since he made his Premier League debut as a 15-year-old, two seasons ago. Chances in the league have, understandably, been limited since then, but he's starting to knock on the door, isn't he?

Now, maybe this weekend's match away at Newcastle United would be a bit of a risk to throw him into, but there could be opportunities over the coming weeks for Arteta to hand Nwaneri his first-ever Premier League start, before Odegaard returns.