Ethan Nwaneri grabbed the spotlight with a stunning strike as Arsenal eased into the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup with a 3-0 win over Preston.
The 17-year-old Nwaneri, who scored his first senior goals with a brace when the Gunners romped to a 5-1 win over Bolton in the previous round, was at the heart of things again and bent in a fine shot to double Arsenal’s lead after Gabriel Jesus opened the scoring with his first goal of the season.
Kai Havertz came off the bench to add a third as Arsenal extended Preston’s unwanted record of having played more games in this competition than any other club, now 185, without making the last eight.
Arsenal have long known they have a potential gem on their hands – it is two years since Nwaneri became the Premier League’s youngest player at the age of 15 and 181 days – and the attacking midfielder put in a performance which suggests he is ready to make a bigger contribution.
Mikel Arteta made eight changes to the Arsenal side that started Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool, handing a debut to 18-year-old goalkeeper Tommy Setford.
Jurrien Timber was fit to start after being forced off with cramp at the weekend, while Oleksandr Zinchenko started to make his first appearance since August after a calf injury.
Nwaneri had the first real sight of goal but could not keep his shot down when he stretched to reach Raheem Sterling’s pass near the penalty spot.
After Liam Lindsay headed over from Sam Greenwood’s free-kick for Preston, Arsenal took the lead in the 24th minute.
Gabriel Martinelli floated in a deep free-kick which was headed back by Jakub Kiwior for Jesus to lash home on the volley.
Arsenal had the chance to double their lead six minutes later when Sterling picked out Mikel Merino who selflessly laid the ball off for Nwaneri, but the academy product could not get enough power in his shot.
But having fluffed that chance, Nwaneri scored from a much harder opportunity three minutes later. Played in by Jesus, the England youth international rolled away from his man before bending a shot into the top left corner of the Preston net.
Arteta made a double change at the break as Havertz and Thomas Partey came on for Merino and Timber, and Havertz got Arsenal’s third within 11 minutes of the restart, arriving on cue to head Kiwior’s cross beyond Freddie Woodman for his seventh of the season.
Just after the hour Woodman made a superb double save, first to keep out Jesus’s low shot and then to deny Sterling on the follow-up.
From the resulting corner Stefan Thordarson inadvertently sent the ball towards his own goal but Brad Potts was there to head it to safety.
Nwaneri was desperately unlucky not to get his second in the 76th minute, finding space just inside the box and looking again for the top left corner, but this time finding the crossbar as his shot bounced to safety.
At the other end, Setford had his first real save to make moments later, clawing away a dipping shot from Jeppe Okkels. Emil Riis should have scored for the hosts six minutes from time, but poked wide from fellow substitute’s Mads Frokjaer’s cross.
Arsenal finished on top, but Sterling was denied by a goal-line clearance from Potts in stoppage time.
Interim boss Stephen Frail expects Motherwell to appoint a new manager next week and admits their first job will be to lift the players’ confidence after a 3-0 mauling at home to Ross County.A double from Ronan Hale and Connor Randall’s last-minute strike secured an impressive victory for the Staggies at Fir Park.Defeat sees the Steelmen drop into the bottom half of the Premiership tab...
Mark Hughes heaped praise on goalkeeper Gabe Breeze after Carlisle picked up a vital point in the League Two relegation battle with a goalless draw against in-form Colchester at Brunton Park.Breeze made two excellent saves from Lyle Taylor as the Cumbrians ended a four-game losing run and the former Man City boss was astounded by the 21-year-old’s performance.He said: “The game had som...
Chesterfield boss Paul Cook launched a scathing attack on his play-off hopefuls after they surrendered an early lead to lose 3-1 at Sky Bet League Two table-toppers Walsall.The Spireites enjoyed a rapid start when Jamie Grimes’ eighth-minute header put them ahead against a wobbling Walsall side, who were winless in five matches with the chasing pack closing in.However, Bim Pepple and Dylan D...
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has allayed fears of an injury scare to top scorer Erling Haaland ahead of next week’s Champions League trip to Real Madrid.Haaland went down clutching his leg in the latter stages of the champions’ 4-0 Premier League thrashing of Newcastle at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday and was immediately substituted.Losing the Norwegian would be a major blow to ...
Rotherham manager Steve Evans described Thomas Parsons’ performance as “atrocious” after the referee awarded a stoppage-time penalty from which Reading snatched a 2-1 victory in League One.Reading had led 1-0 at half-time through top scorer Harvey Knibbs but Sam Nombe levelled for Rotherham from a spot-kick in the 57th minute.With the game heading for a draw, Parsons adjudged Mil...
Michael Flynn believes his team can make a charge towards the League Two play-offs places after watching them come from 2-0 down to beat Barrow 3-2 at home.Matty Taylor scored twice before fellow substitute Ashley Hay hit the winner as the Robins continued their perfect home record in 2025.Cheltenham climbed to 13th in the table and sit eight points off seventh-placed Crewe with two games in hand....
Birmingham manager Chris Davies praised Jay Stansfield’s work ethic after he lit up St Andrew’s with the only goal of a 1-0 win to sink play-off chasing Charlton.Stansfield’s 23rd-minute strike stretched City’s lead to nine points ahead of second-placed Wycombe, with Blues boasting a game in hand.Victory was City’s 30th in all competitions as they extended their unbea...
Andoni Iraola refused to get carried away after Bournemouth fans were left dreaming of a potential Champions League adventure following a first league double over south-coast rivals Southampton.Travelling Cherries fans chanted of playing in European football’s premier competition next season after their side soared to fifth spot in the Premier League table thanks to a deserved 3-1 success at...
Norwich head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup praised his side for fighting back to draw 1-1 at Hull after he demanded “I want to see my football team back”.The Norwich boss had some tough words for his team as they trailed 1-0 at half-time to the relegation-threatened side, including for Kellen Fisher – but the player then delivered the assist for Josh Sargent’s equaliser.The Un...
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers says Jota has a chance of starting against Bayern Munich after scoring and impressing in a 3-0 victory over Dundee United.Jota earned the club’s man-of-the-match award after cutting in from the left and curling home from 18 yards to double the lead given to the hosts by another impressive finish from Callum McGregor.The Portuguese winger has now started two gam...
