Preston North End vs Arsenal. Carabao Cup Fourth Round.
DeepdaleAttendance21,811.
Match report as Arsenal produce an efficient attacking display to see off Championship side Preston; Gabriel Jesus scores his first goal since late January; Ethan Nwaneri continues to impress with another fine strike - his third of the competition; Gunners host Crystal Palace in last eight
Wednesday 30 October 2024 23:39, UK
Much-changed Arsenal coasted into the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup, where they will meet Crystal Palace, with a 3-0 victory over Championship side Preston, including a stunner from teenage forward Ethan Nwaneri.
The 17-year-old - scoring his third of the competition - transferred the ball from right to left superbly before bending a sumptuous effort into the top left corner, nine minutes after Gabriel Jesus had scored his first goal since January to put the Gunners ahead.
Jesus had gone 25 games without finding the net, and was grateful to be teed up by Jakub Kiwior from a corner to finally end his goal drought, firing inside the post from close range.
Kiwior, one of eight Arsenal changes, then provided a delicious delivery for substitute Kai Havertz to head a third midway through the second period, with efficiency in front of goal becoming a hallmark of recent displays.
Star of the show Nwaneri, who ended the game with a passing accuracy of 98 per cent, struck the crossbar before the night was out, while Bukayo Saka emerged from the bench for the last half hour as he eases back into full stride after a recent hamstring issue - just in time for a Premier League trip to Newcastle this weekend.
Arsenal finished comfortably on top, but were denied the perfect end to a productive night when Raheem Sterling looked certain to score a fourth, only for Brad Potts to produce a last-gasp goal-line clearance.
Ties to be played week commencing December 16
"Nwaneri looks a brilliant player," posted Sky Sports' Paul Merson on X, in the wake of another stellar display from Ethan Nwaneri, who continues to perform with a maturity far beyond his teenage years.
Arsenal have long known they have a potential gem on their hands - it is two years since Nwaneri became the Premier League's youngest player at the age of 15 and 181 days - and now his impact on games is becoming difficult to ignore.
It is not easy to stand out when surrounded by the calibre and class of Arsenal's attacking options, but Nwaneri copes just fine.
His composure on the ball - boasting a 98 per cent successful pass rate - is quite remarkable for a 17-year-old, willing to receive in tight spaces, manipulate the ball with either foot, and always play forwards.
Then there is his talent in front of goal: very few players have the ability to shift weight to such good effect - Man City's Phil Foden is excellent at it. And the strike that follows is one only a player brimming with confidence attempts.
"He did it yesterday in training too, so we're getting used to that," said Mikel Arteta post-match. "We have some player there."
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta speaking about the development of Nwaneri:
"He's a big talent, he's got the right attitude, he's got the right players and context around him and we need to make sure that we put brick by brick in the right tempo, in the right order, but we have some player there.
"He's going to really dictate how fast that's going to go, but I'm really, really happy with him.
"There's so much personality there. He wants to impose himself, he wants every ball, he wants to make things happen.
"He's still a bit quiet, as is usual for a 17-year-old, but he's very respectful, his work ethic is tremendous and he loves what he does, you can tell that."
Preston boss Paul Heckingbottom:
"In the second half we were better, we passed the ball, we were braver, it would have been nice to get a goal that I think our play deserved, but it's the levels," he said.
"I was really disappointed with the first goal, a set-play and we were marking the wrong people…but the second goal is fantastic. I don't think you can stop that."
