The best Arsenal talents to watch out for against Doncaster
Published:
Like most of the top Premier League sides, Arsenal use the Carabao Cup to give playing time to squad players and exciting young talents.
Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere and Alex Iwobi all impressed in this competition before breaking into the first-team.
The Gunners face Doncaster Rovers at home on Wednesday night. And Arsene Wenger could give several of his most promising youngsters a chance to impress.
Here are four that could feature against the League One side:
Reiss Nelson
There’s plenty of excitement amongst the Arsenal fans over 17-year-old Reiss Nelson.
The winger looked electric in pre-season. He can beat defenders with ease and it looks like he might have an end product too. Nelson has six goals in five Premier League 2 games this season.
Wenger said Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s departure could open the door for Nelson. Expect him to seize his opportunity against lower-league opposition.
Joe Willock
Another who caught the eye on the pre-season tour of Asia, Joe Willock is a promising central midfielder.
The 18-year-old is tidy on the ball and looks well suited to Arsenal’s passing game.
He’s naturally an attacking-minded player that likes to make things happen. However, Arsene Wenger had enough faith in his ability to select him in a deeper role alongside Aaron Ramsey in the Emirates Cup.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles
Ainsley Maitland-Niles is an elder statesman compared to Nelson and Willock. The 20-year-old has made 11 first-team appearances to date.
He came through the ranks as a winger but started in central midfield for a 5-0 FA Cup win against Southampton last season.
That versatility could be very useful this term. With Mathieu Debuchy out of the picture, he could be the first-choice back up to Hector Bellerin at right wing-back.
Eddie Nketiah
It’s been a long time since an Arsenal youth product managed to establish themselves up front for the first-team.
Eddie Nketiah has the potential to do just that. He’s a prolific goalscorer at youth and reserve level, scoring 24 goals in 33 appearances last season.
The 18-year-old works hard and is a decent dribbler. But he’s primarily focused on scoring. Nketiah is clinical when given a sight of goal.
Click here for all the latest Carabao Cup odds
All Odds and Markets correct as of the date of publication
