Indonesia
Nigeria
South Africa

Arsenalvs.Bolton

sportsmole.co.uk, 25 September 2024, 17:35
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has made sweeping changes for Wednesday's EFL Cup third-round tie with Bolton Wanderers, where four teenagers will make their full debuts.

The Gunners boss has handed starts to all of Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Joshua Nichols and 16-year-old goalkeeper Jack Porter, who become the first players born after the opening of the Emirates in 2006 to play in a competitive game at the stadium for Arsenal.

Porter has also set a club record as the youngest player to start a competitive match for the Gunners at just 16 years and 72 days, breaking the previous record held by a 16-year and 177-days old Cesc Fabregas in 2003.

The 2008-born shot-stopper starts thanks to his three seniors being unavailable, with David Raya and Tommy Setford both injured, while Bournemouth loanee Neto is cup-tied after representing the Cherries in the second round.

Arsenal confirmed on social media that Raya would miss the game due to a thigh problem, and Porter has been given the nod in goal over the slightly more experienced Alexei Rojas - 18 - who is on the bench.

Nwaneri joins Sterling in exciting Arsenal attack

Porter is one of three teenagers making their first starts at the back, as Lewis-Skelly starts on the left after his late cameo against Manchester City, while 18-year-old Nichols will make his debut at right-back.

Riccardo Calafiori has overcome a knock sustained at the Etihad to partner Jakub Kiwior in the centre of defence, while Jorginho and the ever-present Declan Rice offer some valuable experience in midfield.

Further forward, Nwaneri will seemingly operate in the number 10 position on his first start for the club, having already made history as the Premier League's youngest-ever player when he came off the bench against Brentford in September 2022.

The 17-year-old starts in between Bukayo Saka - who only lasted 45 minutes against Man City due to Leandro Trossard's sending-off - and Raheem Sterling, who is the fifth man to make his full Arsenal debut this evening.

Gabriel Jesus leads the line, while Kai Havertz, Thomas Partey, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba are all among the reserves, as are three more academy graduates in Ismeal Kabia, Ayden Heaven and Maldini Kacurri.

Arsenal starting lineup: Porter; Nichols, Kiwior, Calafiori, Lewis-Skelly; Rice, Jorginho; Saka, Nwaneri, Sterling; Jesus

Subs: Rojas, Saliba, Gabriel, Kacurri, Heaven, Havertz, Partey, Martinelli, Kabia

Bolton starting lineup: Southwood; Forino, Santos, Toal; Dacres-Cogley, Sheehan, Dempsey, Arfield, Williams; McAtee, Collins

Subs: Baxter, Johnston, Schon, Inwood, Matheson, Matete, Thomason, Adeboyejo, Charles

Top News

26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aiming to arrest their underwhelming Primeira Liga results before Christmas, Estoril Praia and Moreirense clash at Estadio Antonio Coimbra da Mota on Saturday, keen to notch important victories in the gameweek 16 encounter. 26 December 2024 talksport.com Birmingham's Boxing Day clash with Burton had to be temporarily suspended due to a medical emergency at St Andrew's. 26 December 2024 talksport.com Kevin De Bruyne certainly wasn't in the festive spirit after walking down the tunnel immediately after Manchester City were held to a 1-1 draw against Everton. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Jose Mourinho reportedly wants Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford at Fenerbahce, while Paris Saint-Germain will not sign the 27-year-old. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Erling Haaland missed a second-half penalty as Manchester City's Premier League plight continued with a 1-1 draw at home to a dogged Everton unit at the Etihad Stadium. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Primeira Liga title contenders Porto could climb to first place on Saturday when they host relegation-threatened Boavista at Estadio do Dragao in gameweek 16. 26 December 2024 talksport.com Goalkeepers tend to be a little crazy and Jordan Pickford is no different. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea and Fulham have announced their teams for the West London derby at Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United are paying increased attention to Atalanta BC midfielder Ederson ahead of a potential summer move to Old Trafford. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal pair Gabriel Jesus and David Raya could both write new chapters of Gunners history when Mikel Arteta's men host Ipswich Town in Friday's Premier League encounter. 26 December 2024 talksport.com Christmas may have come and gone, but Man City' boss Pep Guardiola - and his players - are hoping for presents in the form of new signings. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aiming to finish a successful year with a streak of five straight Serie A wins, Inter Milan will visit Cagliari on Saturday, as both sides play their final fixture of 2024. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea are supposedly all prepared to go head-to-head for the services of Club Brugge defender Maxim De Cuyper in the January window. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk says that he loves the club but that the future is uncertain ahead of his side's clash against Leicester City at Anfield on Boxing Day in the Premier League. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United could supposedly repeat their Chido Obi Martin trick by prising another young talent away from Arsenal in 2025. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United and Real Madrid have seemingly been handed a significant boost in their hopes of landing AC Milan left-back Theo Hernandez, who is experiencing 'high tension' with head coach Paulo Fonseca. 26 December 2024 talksport.com Man City will attempt to arrest their calamitous slump in form when they face Everton on Boxing Day. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Finishing off their 2024 schedule with a battle at the bottom, Serie A survival rivals Parma and Monza will meet at Stadio Tardini on Saturday. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will not be 'waving the white flag' in the Premier League title race, but the Spaniard and his squad will look at the top-flight table with "a fair bit of regret". 26 December 2024 talksport.com Man City's under pressure stars slept at the club's training ground on Christmas Day as they look to turn around their worrying form. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea have reportedly laid out their plan over how to approach for the upcoming January transfer window. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Nottingham Forest will be bidding to end a 29-year run when they play host to Tottenham Hotspur on Boxing Day. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United will have the chance to sign Victor Osimhen in January in a deal with Napoli that would see one of Rasmus Hojlund, Joshua Zirkzee or Marcus Rashford head in the opposite direction. 26 December 2024 talksport.com Chelsea will always be busy in a transfer window - it's a tale as old as time. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Both beaten by Serie A title contenders just before Christmas, Empoli and Genoa will meet for their final fixture of 2024 on Saturday afternoon. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aston Villa will be hoping to avoid equalling an 89-year streak when they square off against Newcastle United on Boxing Day. 26 December 2024 talksport.com Damian Lewis may be an award-winning actor - but Zinedine Zidane showed him levels when it came to a performing masterclass. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal face the prospect of losing out on Athletic Bilbao's Nico Williams, who is reportedly on serious interest to Bayern Munich. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim believes the club are at one of their lowest moments in living memory, and the side face the prospect of entering 2025 in the bottom half of the Premier League. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Hearts vs. Hibernian (Thursday, 12.30pm) Two places separate Edinburgh rivals Hearts and Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership table heading into gameweek 19's Boxing Day derby at Tynecastle Park.