Arsenalvs.West Ham

The Hale End academy graduate became the Premier League's youngest player at the age of just 15 years and 181 days when he came on as a substitute for the Gunners in a 3-0 win at Brentford in September 2022.

Mikel Arteta was keen to gradually ease Nwaneri into his first-team plans, with the highly-rated teenager making just two senior appearances over the last two seasons.

However, the 17-year-old is now enjoying a breakthrough campaign at Arsenal and has featured in 24 matches across all competitions for the senior side, starting eight of those.

Nwaneri has recently benefited from Arsenal's injury crisis in attack and he was a standout performer for the Gunners in their 2-0 Premier League win at Leicester City last weekend, registering his first assist of the season for Mikel Merino's first goal of the match.

With Bukayo Saka needing more time to recover from a hamstring injury, and with Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz also in the treatment room, Arteta is set to continue to put his faith in Nwaneri and play the youngster in Arsenal's upcoming fixtures.

Nwaneri chasing down Rooney, Owen scoring record

Nwaneri has scored seven goals so far this season, including three in the Premier League, and there are only two players who have ever scored more goals for a Premier League club in all competitions before turning 18.

England legend Rooney scored nine goals when he burst onto the scene at Everton in 2002, while fellow Three Lions striker Owen netted the same number of goals before turning 18 at Liverpool back in 1997.

Nwaneri now has the chance to equal or surpass the feat set by Rooney and Owen, but the Arsenal starlet is running out of time as he turns 18 on March 21.

Arsenal have just four more fixtures, all in the Premier League, before Nwaneri turns 18, and he needs to score two goals in these games to equal the record held by Rooney and Owen.

The Gunners welcome West Ham United to the Emirates on Saturday before travelling to Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, either side of an FA Cup weekend, and then come up against Chelsea on home soil on March 16 before the international break.

Nwaneri will back himself to break the record during this short period of time, as he is currently averaging a goal every 103 minutes for Arsenal, boasting a better minutes-per-goal ratio before the age of 18 than both Rooney (one every 232 minutes) and Owen (one every 192 minutes).

Written by

Oliver Thomas