Ethan Nwaneri, a 17-year-old Nigerian talent, delivered a standout performance for Arsenal in their historic Champions League clash against PSV Eindhoven, breaking records and etching his name alongside club legend Cesc Fabregas in Gunners’ UCL history.
Arsenal dominated PSV with a remarkable 7-1 victory, becoming the first team to score seven away goals in a Champions League knockout match. This commanding win all but secured their spot in the quarterfinals, making the second leg at the Emirates Stadium a mere formality.
Nwaneri played a key role in Arsenal’s early dominance, scoring before the midway point of the first half after Jurrien Timber opened the scoring. Mikel Merino added a third goal before PSV pulled one back through Noa Lang’s penalty.
At just 17 years and 348 days old, Nwaneri became the third-youngest player to score in a Champions League knockout match, following Barcelona’s Bojan Krkić and Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham. He also became Arsenal’s second-youngest player in a UCL knockout fixture, trailing only Fabregas, who played at 17 years and 309 days in 2005.
The young star’s goal was part of an electrifying Arsenal display, with captain Martin Odegaard scoring twice, Leandro Trossard adding another, and Riccardo Calafiori netting the seventh goal.
This record-breaking win puts Arsenal in a strong position to face either Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid in the quarterfinals, marking a significant moment in their European campaign.
Nwaneri also made double history as Arsenal’s youngest Champions League scorer since 2005. Alongside fellow teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly, who provided his assist, they became the first English teenagers to score together in a Champions League match.
With his incredible performance, Nwaneri has cemented his status as one of the brightest young talents in European football, further proving the strength of Arsenal’s youth academy.
