Former Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere insists Ethan Nwaneri has “stepped up his game another level this year” with the Gunners top of the league.
Arsenal beat West Ham on Saturday to leapfrog over Liverpool to go top of the Premier League table after seven matches.
Nwaneri came off the bench for 15 minutes against West Ham and has yet to contribute a goal or an assist in his five appearances in all competitions.
However, Wilshere reckons the 18-year-old has taken his game to “another level” this season after his breakthrough campaign last term, in which he made 26 Premier League appearances.
Wilshere, who coached Nwaneri during his time coaching at the Arsenal academy, commented on talkSPORT: “Ethan has stepped up his game another level this year.
“Ethan has got magic and people are starting to see that a little bit more now.
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“I think he probably took a bit of time to understand what Mikel wanted out of possession and exactly what he wanted in possession, but he has some ability.”
Wilshere added on the youngster: “When I had Ethan, I played him off the wing, I played him inside, I played him a little bit deeper, which was nice as well with the game in front of him, but I also played him as a number nine.
“He was almost like a bit of a false nine, and he would find spaces and pull of into areas where defenders don’t want to go and he can obviously turn the game forward.
“One thing that we haven’t seen that much, and I think it takes longer for any young player when they get into the first team, is his dribbling ability.
“Ethan can get at players, he can beat players, so I would like to see him centrally at some point.”
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Myles Lewis-Skelly has also found it hard to get minutes this season but Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has insisted both players will get more game time at some point this season.
Arteta said before their 2-0 win over West Ham: “I work with what the boys can provide in the context that the team is playing in at the moment.
“Ethan has played two games in the Premier League very early because of an injury to Martin as well. He played in other competitions and he will play more.
“With Myles, it’s the same, but sometimes it’s form, sometimes it’s the fact that we want to do certain things in relation to the position and that’s it.
“What I want is for them to be in the state that they are in. They have to be used and when they are playing, whether it is to a starter game or for a few minutes, they are fully ready and both of them have been really good at that.”
