Arsenal laboured to a draw against Everton at Goodison Park, but not for the first time, it wasn’t a match without its contention.
The latest setback in the Premier League means Liverpool are all but confirmed to lift the title in May, and that the Gunners are heading toward a third successive second-place finish.
Though Arsenal weren’t at their best against the Toffees, they did take the lead after the opening half hour through Leandro Trossard’s crisp, driven finish.
However, that was cancelled out by Iliman Ndiaye’s strike from the spot shortly after the break, with Myles Lewis-Skelly deemed guilty of a costly foul.
Lewis-Skelly's performance vs Everton
Mikel Arteta bemoaned the decision to award Everton a penalty kick after the interval when Lewis-Skelly was adjudged to have bundled Jack Harrison to the ground. Contact was slight at best, and you could make a case that the 18-year-old left-back was knocked himself in the tussle.
It was a soft decision for sure. Arsenal will rue their lack of incisiveness in the final third but it must be frustrating for the players to see their building momentum snuffed out by another controversial call.
Lewis-Skelly remains a raw prospect, but his high ceiling is indisputable, showing flashes of brilliance on Merseyside as he won six duels and made a striking surge upfield that resulted in a free-kick on the edge of the area, as per Sofascore.
Hale End’s influence continues to grow, and Arteta will be absolutely delighted with MLS’s progress, making an impression even on an off-day, which bears testament to his ever-improving level.
In any case, it was a contest that was in some ways a dead rubber, with Arteta happy to enforce a range of changes ahead of Tuesday night’s Champions League tie against Real Madrid.
One of those changes was handing prodigious teenager Ethan Nwaneri a starting berth, but it didn’t pay off against David Moyes’ side.
Arteta must drop Ethan Nwaneri
Nwaneri, 18, has blitzed onto the major scene this season, becoming an important feature for an Arsenal side that has suffered with injuries this season, namely to their frontline.
Bukayo Saka has now returned, but he’s missed the start of 2025 with a hamstring issue, while Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus languish in the infirmary still.
Nwaneri has been the brightest shining light of the season, a rousing tonic who has scored eight goals and supplied two assists across 31 appearances in all competitions this season, with his efforts leading academy coach Jack Wilshere to remark that he’s “unplayable” at times.
The data certainly suggests he’s something special. As per FBref, Nwaneri ranks among 11% of attacking midfielders and wingers for goals scored, the top 17% for progressive carries and the top 2% for successful take-ons per 90, illustrating his pedigree.
A successful take-on is recorded when a player beats their opponent by directly carrying the ball past them while retaining possession.
However, he’s hardly the finished product and this was underlined by his struggles against a resilient and well-drilled Everton side, with Jarrad Branthwaite in particular expertly snuffing out any danger that came his way.
Minutes played
45′
Goals
0
Assists
0
Touches
23
Shots (on target)
0 (0)
Accurate passes
7/8 (88%)
Key passes
1
Dribbles
0/1
Tackles
1
Duels won
2/3
Hooked at half-time, it wasn’t a display to write home about for the young buck, with the London Standard branding him with a 5/10 match rating after the game, noting that he struggled to get into the game despite Ben White’s willingness to overlap, which is backed up by his 23 touches – even fewer than goalkeeper David Raya (50).
As talented as he is, the youngster has work to do. His off-the-ball movements leave something to be desired, and there’s a question to be raised as to where his optimum position is. Out wide, as he has been played, or perhaps in a more central playmaking role?
Having made just seven passes for an Arsenal side who saw the lion’s share of possession against their Evertonian adversaries – 66% of the ball in the first half, to be exact – Nwaneri didn’t do himself justice here, and those who would argue for his starting inclusion over Saka under the European lights would either be mad or looking to bear witness to an Arsenal defeat.
Lewis-Skelly might have been culpable for drawing a foul inside the penalty area, but there’s little question that Nwaneri was the worse of the two teenagers here, with Arteta taking him out of the firing line at the break.
It’s rather clear where Arteta’s priorities lie as we head into the crunch period of the campaign. Multiple stars were rested ahead of the forthcoming clash with Real Madrid.
With Saka fit once again, Nwaneri should not be earning a starting spot in either tie, though that’s not to say he’s not one of the world’s foremost young talents and couldn’t make an impact off the bench.
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