ETHAN NWANERI SCORED twice on a historic night for Arsenal after 16-year-old goalkeeper Jack Porter became the club’s youngest ever player to start a match in their 5-1 win against Bolton.
Porter, a replacement for the injured David Raya, stole the spotlight ahead of the third-round Carabao Cup fixture at the Emirates Stadium. He has been capped at U17 level for England, but is eligible to play for Ireland as he has a parent Dublin, making him a potential recruitment target for the FAI.
However, it was the highly-rated Nwaneri whose name was up in lights when he scored a brace either side of the interval on a night to remember for the Enfield 17-year-old.
Declan Rice, Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz also found the net, with Aaron Collins on target for the League One visitors.
Three days after their pulsating 2-2 draw against rivals Manchester City in the Premier League, Arsenal were returning to a competition that former manager Arsene Wenger used as a catwalk for his stars of the future.
Cesc Fabregas was 16 years and 177 days when he was handed his first Arsenal start in a third-round League Cup tie against Rotherham at Highbury in 2003.
It is a record which stood for more than two decades before Raya’s injury, coupled with Neto’s unavailability – after he played for Bournemouth in this competition earlier in the season – left Mikel Arteta handing a debut to his third-choice stopper Porter, aged 16 years and 77 days.
And only four minutes had gone when Porter, who has to wait until his 17th birthday in July before he is allowed to sign a professional contract, might have been tested.
Riccardo Calafiori gave the ball away and John McAtee was suddenly bearing down on Porter’s goal. McAtee made it to the byline but his cute backheel was blazed over by Scott Arfield from close range.
Bolton might be a lowly 19th in League One, but began with confidence and they were demanding a penalty when Josh Sheehan claimed he was bundled over in the box by Gabriel Jesus. Referee Josh Smith waved away their appeals, and less than 60 seconds later, Arsenal were in the lead.
With 16 minutes gone, Arfield fluffed 18-year-old Josh Nichols’ rather innocuous looking cross, and Rice was on hand to curl a fine effort past the helpless Luke Southwood.
Nwaneri holds the record as the Premier League’s youngest ever player. He was just 15 when he came on as a late substitute against Brentford two years ago.
And in just his fourth appearance for the Gunners, and his first start, he was celebrating a maiden strike. Another teenager, Myles Lewis-Skelly, 17, found Sterling with a fine through-ball, and the on-loan Chelsea forward’s pinpoint cross was mopped up by Nwaneri.
Four minutes into the second half and Nwaneri netted his second. Rice pounced on Chris Forino and Nwaneri, in acres of space, fired underneath Southwood to put Arsenal three clear.
The Gunners were in cruise control but Bolton pulled one back when Collins broke from an Arsenal corner before comfortably rounding Porter and finishing into an empty net with 53 minutes gone.
But 11 minutes later, Arsenal’s three-goal advantage was restored. Southwood could only parry surprise starter Bukayo Saka’s shot, and Sterling could not miss from a yard out to land his first Arsenal goal on his first start.
Sterling was then involved in Arsenal’s fifth, when his shot was saved and substitute Havertz fired home to complete an emphatic victory for the Gunners, who return to their bid for Premier League glory against Leicester at the Emirates on Saturday.
