3 Nigerian Stars Involved in Arsenal Training Ahead of Champions League Fixture
- English Premier League club Arsenal have registered three Nigerian stars ahead of their UEFA Champions League clash
- The Gunners manager Mikel Arteta will lead the team as they face PSV Eindhoven in Tuesday's first leg of the Champions League Round of 16
- One Nigerian has been promoted to the first team following his outstanding performance against Manchester United in the FA Youth Cup
Mikel Arteta will be banking on three Nigerian stars as Arsenal plays PSV Eindhoven in today’s UEFA Champions League match at the Philips Stadion.
The Gunners have been struggling to find the back of the net, scoring just two goals in their last four appearances.
The London side suffered a 1-0 loss at home to West Ham and played out a goalless draw with Nottingham Forest, both matches coming after Leicester City's win.
Source: Getty Images
Arsenal parade Nigerians
Nigeria’s Ethan Nwaneri will take charge of Arsenal’s midfield against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League Round of 16.
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According to All Nigeria Soccer, the former England U-19 player was among the Arsenal players spotted at Luton Airport before the flight to the Netherlands.
Nwaneri has scored one goal and made five appearances in the UEFA Champions League this season per Transfermarket.
According to ThisIsRadioNow, Defensive midfielder Ifeoluwa Ibrahim participated in a training session at the Sobha Realty Training Centre in London on Monday.
The 17-year-old has been with Arsenal since 2016, making his U18 debut as a schoolboy. The Nigerian impressed with his performance against Manchester United in the FA Youth Cup.
Ibrahim also featured for England U-15s in their friendlies against the USA, Japan, and Spain in April 2023 per Arsenal.
Meanwhile, fellow Nigerian Nathan Butler-Oyedeji will make his second appearance for Arsenal in the Champions League, per ArsenalYouth.
Butler-Oyedeji made his debut for the Gunners in their 3-0 victory against Dinamo Zagreb per Transfermarket.
The 22-year-old has been one of Arsenal’s standout performers at U21 level this season, registering seven goals and six assists in nine Premier League 2 matches per Arseblog.
Arteta gives fans assurance
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said the team will adjust in their encounter today.
According to UK Outlet Mirror, the former Manchester City assistant coach said the team did not qualify by fluke. He said via Arsenal:
It’s a game that brings a different energy – it’s that competition that puts everyone on their toes.
We’ve done a lot already this season here and now it’s the moment to start to make another strong step in the right direction that we want to. I’m very excited for the game.
In the last two results, it’s been very different, in terms of performance as well, not getting the right result that we want, but we’ve certainly been better, especially in the last game with the opposition.
And the fact we still have gears, even with the players that we have, some of them have gears to take us to a different level.
Source: Getty Images
Bassey appeals to Nwaneri over allegiance
Legit.ng earlier reported that Super Eagles defender Calvin Bassey has appealed to young players of Nigerian descent, including Arsenal starlet Ethan Nwaneri, to choose Nigeria over England on the international stage.
The Fulham player said he understands the difficulty of choosing between two national teams.
Recently, players such as Ola Aina, Alex Iwobi, Ademola Lookman, Nathan Tella, William Troost-Ekong, Semi Ajayi, Tyrion Ebuehi, Bright Osayi-Samuel, and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru have pledged their futures to Nigeria.
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Source: Legit.ng
