Arsenal5 - 1Man City

Mikel Arteta's men subjected Pep Guardiola's side to a sensational slaughter in North London, where Hale End stars Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri scored arguably the pick of the bunch in the second half.

The former - cleared to play this weekend after his red card against Wolverhampton Wanderers was rescinded - has quickly established a reputation for relishing the big occasions, and the left-back struck the hosts' third on the afternoon.

After receiving a pass to feet from Declan Rice, Lewis-Skelly drove at the City backline and let fly with a strike that Stefan Ortega should have done better with, but he could only help the teenager's effort on its way in.

With the tie dead and buried at 4-1 in added-on time, Arteta gave 17-year-old Nwaneri a late run-out, and the Premier League's youngest-ever player made the most of his opportunity with a terrific curler into the far corner.

Two Arsenal teenagers score in PL game for first time

In doing so, Nwaneri etched his and Lewis-Skelly's names into the Arsenal annals, as Saturday's game marked the first Premier League match where the Gunners have had two teenagers find the back of the net.

The occasion is also the first time in 18 years that two teenagers have scored for any single team in a Premier League game, a feat last achieved by Everton's James Vaughan and Victor Anichebe in 2007.

Before Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri made the Emirates erupt, Arsenal were deservedly in the ascendancy when Martin Odegaard capitalised on a second-minute mistake, but City's pressure eventually told when Erling Haaland headed in his 250th club goal.

However, the Norwegian's landmark goal came just two minutes before Thomas Partey restored Arsenal's lead with a long-range strike that took a wicked deflection off of John Stones, while Kai Havertz also atoned for a horrific first-half miss with the Gunners' fourth either side of Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri's efforts.

Despite putting Man City to the sword in such emphatic fashion, Arsenal remain six points behind Liverpool - who still have a game in hand - at the top of the Premier League rankings.

Lewis-Skelly, Nwaneri feat a significant milestone for Hale End

Arsenal and Manchester were in the sporting news a couple of days ago, albeit for an off-field transaction rather than an on-field dealing, as Manchester United poached Ayden Heaven from the Gunners' ranks.

The 18-year-old defender is one of a handful of talented teenagers to reject the chance to advance their careers at Arsenal; Chido Obi Martin - one of the most talented young strikers in the country - followed the exact same path despite his extraordinary progress at Hale End.

Arsenal have also failed to keep Amario Cozier-Duberry or Reuell Walters in recent times - the duo now represent Brighton & Hove Albion and Luton Town respectively - and the spate of academy exits stung for a side who have forever prided themselves on nurturing the talents of tomorrow.

However, two of those stars of tomorrow are currently the stars of today for Arsenal, whose current embryonic talents should now have another incentive not to jump ship when observing Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly's meteoric rises to stardom.

Written by

Ben Knapton