Ethan Nwaneri's record-breaking debut supports Per Mertesacker's Arsenal claim

The quirky facts surrounding Ethan Nwaneri's age in relation to his Premier League debut do make for extraordinary reading.

At just 15 years and 181 days, Nwaneri came on for Arsenal during the latter stages of their 3-0 away win over Brentford on Sunday. Remarkably, the teenage midfielder had not been born by the time the Emirates Stadium opened. He is the first Gunners player to have not seen them win a league title.

Nwaneri is also the youngest player in Premier League history, beating the previous record of 16 years and 30 days old set by Liverpool star Harvey Elliot - from his time at Fulham - by some distance. He becomes the first 15-year-old to play Premier League football, which marks an incredible and rapid rise to the top for the England Under-16 international.

Clearly not phased by playing against those many years his senior, Nwaneri netted a goal on his Arsenal Under-18 debut when he was just 14. This season was expected to see the playmaker become integrated with the U18s, but he has already been promoted to join the Under-21 side.

Last month saw him bag his first goal for the England Under-17 against the Faroe Islands, but it is highly unlikely that Nwaneri saw himself making his Arsenal first-team debut just over a month later.

With Martin Odegaard and Oleksandr Zinchenko ruled out of the trip to Brentford through injury, Arsenal were light in terms of midfield options to call upon. Manager Mikel Arteta discussed his decision to bring Nwaneri on after the game.

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"It was a pure gut feeling," the Gunners boss explained. "I met the boy and really liked what I saw. Per Mertesacker and the academy staff are giving me really good information, Edu as well. I met him, he's trained a couple of times with us.

"Yesterday he had to come because we have injuries, especially the injury of Martin Odegaard, and then I had that feeling from yesterday that if the opportunity could come that I was going to do it and I just did it."

Arteta's mention of Mertesacker's positive contribution is fitting considering all the fantastic work the former Gunners defender has done since becoming head of Arsenal's academy operations.

The club's famed Hale End academy has helped guide a number of high-profile talents to the first team, including Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe, and ex-Germany international Mertesacker is hopeful that trend can continue.

"I couldn't be more pleased how aligned we are in terms of the first team and the academy, and the success rubs off each other," Mertesacker told City AM earlier this month. "I'm in a super happy place right now.

The academy boss is desperate to ensure Arsenal produce more talents like Saka and is optimistic there are more elite prospects on the way.

"How close are we? I'm not sure," Mertesacker admitted. "We're competing with the best academies in England but also in Europe and the world. I think we're in a good position, but ready to do more."

With that in mind, don't be surprised if there are more teenage academy graduates introduced to the Arsenal faithful as the season goes on.

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