Who is Ethan Nwaneri? Arsenal's 15-year-old wonderkid

WHAT HAPPENED? The midfielder would become the youngest player ever to play for Arsenal should he come on, as well as the youngest player ever to play in the Premier League.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Nwaneri is still on schoolboy terms at Arsenal, but has made rapid progress with the club in recent months.

He started the season with the u18s and impressed throughout pre-season, starring in some friendlies. One of which was against Slough Town, with Rebels boss picking him out as a potential star of the future.

“Their number 10 has got great feet, he’s only a real youngster,” Neil Baker said after the game. “He’s a real high hope for them at Arsenal. He’s got absolutely unbelievable ability."

AND WHAT'S MORE: Nwaneri, who has represented England at U16s level, has broken into the U21s in recent weeks and his performances saw him called up to first-team training by Mikel Arteta.

WHERE DOES HE PLAY? Nwaneri is an attacking midfielder who is known for his flair and his ability to run with the ball at his feet. He likes to operate in the No.10 role, but can play across all the attacking positions.

IN ONE PHOTO:

This will likely be the expression on Arteta's face if Nwaneri makes an impact at Brentford...

THE VERDICT: This is obviously a big moment for Nwaneri, but the fact Arteta has had to name him on the bench for a Premier League highlights how small Arsenal's squad still is. They have a few injuries at the moment and Martin Odegaard dropping out at the last minute hasn't helped matters, but even so - Arteta shouldn't really have to be turning to a child to him plug the gap.

It shows that there is still plenty of work to be done before this Arsenal squad can get close to competing with the best there is to offer in England.

WHAT NEXT FOR NWANERI? Should he come on against Brentford, Nwaneri (15 years, 5 months, 23 days) would surpass Cesc Fabregas (16 years 5 months 24 days) as Arsenal's youngest ever player. He would also become the Premier League's youngest player, beating Liverpool's Harvey Elliott (16 years, 30 days).