Arteta never won a cap for his native Spain but was approached to play for England in 2010, having naturalised during his first five years at Everton.
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And on Tuesday night, two of his young charges reminded everyone that Arteta has already set in motion something that could end up making England very proud of him indeed.
Within 21 minutes against PSV Eindhoven he had got on the scoresheet too, the third youngest player ever – English or not – to do so in this competition’s knockout stages, and while Arsenal had been wobbling when half-time came, after the break a brilliant Nwaneri assist set up his team’s fourth goal. “A nice little stepover and putting into the corridor of uncertainty,” as Daniel Sturridge casually put it on Amazon Prime Video. Man Utd loanee Tyrell Malacia, tasked with stopping Nwaneri, was certainly powerless to stop him.
Let’s start with the good: a full-back ultimately he can also play in midfield, a crucial factor in Arteta’s system which requires the left back to tuck in front of the defensive line in possession. It was in that position that Lewis-Skelly wriggled free from two pressing PSV players, turned and found Leandro Trossard in space out wide. Two passes later it was 1-0, and it was 2-0 when he made a run forward into the box, underlapping as a more classic full-back and finding fellow teenager Nwaneri for a first-time finish.
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“What the referee has judged is it’s just a careless challenge,” said former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg. “He goes for the ball, it’s late. If he hadn’t been cautioned [already], he would have got a caution for that, but that certainly isn’t a second yellow card.”
Arteta took fate or alleged corruption out of it shortly afterwards, replacing him before what seemed an inevitable red card. “He took it really well,” his captain Martin Odegaard revealed afterwards.
“The game could change immediately. They are very experienced players, they know what to do [to get him sent off] and he is very young so I think we have to protect him.”
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But Arteta clearly trusts him, something that is not easily one. Multiple players have walked away from Arsenal in recent years over frustration at not being given a chance in the first team. Even next week, defending a 7-1 lead, few expect the manager to give cheap minutes to young players who have not featured before.
That was seemingly forced by injuries to, among others, Bukayo Saka, but Nwaneri is not a natural right winger.
“He’s 17 years old, playing on the biggest stage in football. It’s crazy.”
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“[Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly] are unbelievable. But they play like they’ve been here for many years already,” added Odegaard, who himself was a wunderkind who became his country’s youngest cap at the age of 15 and Real Madrid’s ever youngest debutant at the time a year later.
And another teenage sensation was quick to heap praise particularly on Nwaneri in response.
“At 17 years of age to come and play in the knockout stage of the Champions League, to show his flair, his ability, his willingness to get shot off, I thought was fantastic.”
They are queuing up to anoint Nwaneri, who will turn 18 in two weeks. Such fame and acclaim at an early age does not always end well. At least in Arteta, England can expect that he will do his duty.
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