Summarize and humanize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs in EnglishIt is quite something when a crowd of 14,783, many of them children from the West Midlands, are screaming “Shoot!” the first time that you get the ball in an attacking position.This was the case for Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri 10 minutes into his full England Under-21s debut on Monday at The Hawthorns, home of West Bromwich Albion from English football’s second-tier Championship. The midfielder, who turned 18 last week, obliged those youthful cries from the stands. He instinctively drove towards the edge of the box before curling a shot into the far corner in what is now almost trademark fashion.
Speaking of brilliant goals… 💫
Our U21 #YoungLions lead Portugal 2-1, with the second courtesy of a stunning strike from Ethan Nwaneri 🤩 pic.twitter.com/eDsfoDnLxA
— England (@England) March 24, 2025The goal put England’s youngsters 2-0 up against their counterparts from Portugal — and they went on to win 4-2 — and was the latest in Nwaneri’s collection of curlers. He has applied that type of finish from just outside the penalty area three times for Arsenal’s first team this season alone, and none have been by coincidence.“It’s definitely a finish that he’s got,” England Under-21s head coach Lee Carsley said post-match. “(Chelsea forward and recent England Under-21 predecessor) Noni Madueke’s got the same finish, where everyone knows exactly what’s going to happen but you cannot stop it. He took his goal so well, but what we have to keep remembering is he’s 18. It’s unbelievable. We just have to encourage these guys.”As England Under-16s head coach Greg Lincoln, who previously coached Nwaneri with Arsenal’s under-16s and under-17s, told The Athletic last week: “He’s hit that shot 10,000 times.”Arsenal team-mate Mikel Merino has also recently said: “He trains it every day. He has an amazing talent but there is nothing that comes without hard work.”The first glimpse of that hard work for Arsenal fans came in a 4-2 Premier League defeat of Leicester City in September. Brought on with five minutes of the 90 remaining and the scores level at 2-2, Nwaneri’s first action was to drive forward with the ball and attempt one of these curlers from just outside the box. His effort was saved but that moment changed the energy inside the Emirates Stadium and helped create the momentum necessary for Arsenal to win that day.A month later and that shot was flying into the top corner away to Preston North End of the Championship in the Carabao Cup. Nwaneri needed just one touch across his body to set the ball before leaving goalkeeper Freddie Woodman rooted to the spot.On the right wing against Girona in a Champions League match in January, Nwaneri dummied a shot to create an extra yard of space for himself. With his marker off-balance, he made a beeline for his favoured shooting spot before again finishing into the far corner.His confidence regarding this type of finish shone through in Arsenal’s 5-1 thrashing of Manchester City a few days later.Again on as a late substitute, Nwaneri called for the ball for 15 seconds before finally getting it, dropping a shoulder to get inside Savinho and then curling the ball home with his next touch. As with Preston counterpart Woodman, all goalkeeper Stefan Ortega could do was watch as the shot flew by him.Last season, Nwaneri scored this same type of goal against Italy Under-19s, France Under-19s, New Caledonia Under-17s and Stoke City Under-21s.In recent years, the closer the teenager has come to first-team football with Arsenal, the more emphasis has been put on making his training more relevant and realistic to what happens in an 11-a-side game. As a result, looking at when Nwaneri may have opportunities to train that shot has been important in recent years.In the Arsenal academy, sessions have been given more flexibility, with different constraints put on the youngster in the final third that encourage him to repetitively find solutions in those areas.“The sessions are something that we design and we’re aware of (Nwaneri’s shooting),” Lincoln added. “Of course, in the younger years, sometimes they would go wide or fly over, but he’s really refined his skill.“Then there’s the individual bit. If you’re just looking to repeat the technique, after training, we would do some finishing drills and consistently work on that technique. So when he does get the two or three opportunities in the game, there’s a good chance that it’s going to fly into the top corner or at least (be) on target.”Nwaneri’s goal threat is one of the main attributes Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta adores about him. It is why the Spaniard has been vocal about his vision of Nwaneri potentially developing as a centre-forward. For now, however, his goals are coming naturally by entering the final third from wider and deeper areas.While Nwaneri has deputised for the injured Bukayo Saka on the right wing for Arsenal, Carsley played him as one of two No 10s on Monday. Nwaneri was positioned to the right, with Brighton & Hove Albion’s Jack Hinshelwood providing width as a wing-back and Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott was the left-sided No 10. That spacing helped create the teenager’s goal as Jobe Bellingham of Sunderland passed between the lines to find him in a central position.Nwaneri also showed quality when letting the ball run across his body in a deep position to evade two initial markers before drawing in a third and poking the ball into Hinshelwood’s path. That moment led to a chance for Ipswich’s former Arsenal academy forward Omari Hutchinson, who scored later in the game.On Nwaneri, 21-year-old Hutchinson said: “We’ve been getting along in the camp. I’ve been looking after him and advising him, mainly (with) off-the-ball stuff and reactions when you lose the ball, because he’s got the quality on the ball. Also, keeping him in the group and not being shy, and having the confidence (to show) you’re that guy and keep working.“He’s so mature at 18. He creates chances and scores goals, so he’s got a bright future ahead of him. He’s just got to keep doing his thing and he’s going to do really well.”
Nwaneri, centre, is congratulated by his team-mates after scoring against Portugal (Dan Istitene/Getty Images)Nwaneri has eight goals and one assist in all competitions for Arsenal this season. These numbers have come in just 1,087 minutes and led to external hopes he would be rewarded with a call-up for Thomas Tuchel’s first England squad in this international break.“It trickles down,” said Carsley, who managed that senior team during the six autumn games after Gareth Southgate stepped down, in reference to the decision-making process around pathways into the full England side. “The senior team always have the options of what players they’re going to take. We’re quite lucky that we have a few players who can play in that position. He’s definitely one we’d love to see (make the full squad) but ultimately, we’ve got to do what’s best for the players.“It’s important that we look after him. Going into the (Under-21) European Championship in the summer, is that the right thing? We’ll speak with Arsenal and make sure we’re on the same page, but what an impression he’s made.”
