Players, managers and pundits alike could not stop waxing lyrical about Ethan Nwaneri following the Arsenal teenager's electrifying display in their 2-0 Premier League win over Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.
The striker-starved Gunners were found wanting in the final third for the first 80 minutes before Mikel Merino's heroic brace off the bench, but it was not for the want of trying for Nwaneri.
The Premier League's youngest-ever player was the sole bright spark in the first half, continued to terrorise the Leicester defence in the second period and earned extremely high praise from Joe Cole at full time.
"These little touches he produces in and around the box, I don't even want to say it but it's like Messi. I've said it," Cole said on TNT Sports, before stressing that he did not want to pile any more pressure on the 17-year-old's shoulders.
However, Nwaneri's teammates were inevitably asked on just how good Nwaneri can become, with goalscorer Merino adding: "He is an amazing player. Every time I do an interview you guys ask me about him."
Meanwhile, Jurrien Timber told BBC's Match of the Day about Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly: You almost forget they are so young. They are amazing for that age. It's from a different level and the sky is the limit for them."
After watching Raheem Sterling repeatedly struggle to impact the game, Mikel Arteta also praised Nwaneri for adding a layer of threat that others failed to provide, telling the press: "Every time he was on the ball he made things happen. He had another level of threat than the rest of the team."
The numbers behind Nwaneri's dazzling Leicester display
© Imago
Just one quick glance at the statistics tells the story of Nwaneri's exhilarating display for Arsenal against Leicester, where the teenager was awarded a terrific 8.8 match rating by Sofascore.
Nwaneri contested a total of 15 duels and won no fewer than 12 of them, prevailing in 10 of his 13 battles on the ground and also winning both of his aerial duels against Ruud van Nistelrooy's men.
Arguably the only Arsenal player who looked capable of conjuring up anything for a long while, Nwaneri successfully completed six of his seven dribbles, five of which came in the first half; for context, every other player on the pitch managed three between them in the opening 45.
The England Under-19 international also came closest to breaking the deadlock twice - one curling strike that just cleared the bar and another effort on his right foot that smacked the woodwork.
Where the likes of Martin Odegaard are often so reluctant to have a crack with their weak foot, Nwaneri did not hesitate to let fly, although the teenager then used his wand of a left to send in a delicate cross for Merino's opening header.
Nwaneri's assist for the Spaniard was his fourth Premier League goal contribution, the fourth-most of any player before turning 18, only below Wayne Rooney (12), Michael Owen (eight) and Cesc Fabregas (six).
Totalling five shots, two key passes and three tackles at the King Power Stadium, Nwaneri appears to be thriving with the weight of all Arsenal fans on his shoulders, and Bukayo Saka cannot expect to waltz back into the team when fully fit.
Ben Knapton
