What was it Mikel Arteta had said? “We’ve got some player there.” You certainly have. With four minutes left in Arsenal’s last Champions League match of a hugely impressive first phase, Ethan Nwaneri began his long, slow walk around the pitch at Montilivi. As he went, they waited for him with open arms on the away bench and, in the small main stand, supporters and staff stood and applauded. He was in no hurry; he had given everything and was happy to take it all in.
Ultimately, this was a comfortable night for Arsenal, and it had always been likely to be. They had earned the right to play virtually risk-free and although Raheem Sterling missed a last-minute penalty, a 2-1 win over Girona completed the job of carrying them directly to the last 16 as expected. Arsenal are third, Arteta talking about having “the privilege of sitting at home” during the playoff round. In the absence of jeopardy or epic, what made it memorable was the 17-year-old who celebrated his first Champions League start with a superb performance and a wonderful winning goal.
Already the youngest player in Premier League history, he did it as if playing at Donkey Lane, Enfield, not in Europe’s biggest competition – and playing for a side whose candidacy must be taken seriously, chasing a second ever final. The kid who marked this occasion and may well mark many more had not been born that night in 2006 when they played their first. “That’s what we love about him,” Arteta said. “He’s very aggressive and so confident. It was a very important goal.” It was one they had seen before, a signature strike if such a thing can exist so early in a player’s career.
Mikel Arteta had noted that qualification was not mathematically assured but the numbers were on Arsenal’s side: the chances of not making it were less than 0.1% and, with Manchester City coming up, the coach made changes. That meant a starting XI without Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz. David Raya was not there either, although the coach was coy about his injury and availability for the weekend. It also meant another glimpse of the grace and confidence in everything Nwaneri does.
He was not the only new face. At the other end, Neto’s first appearance in eight months did not go entirely as planned. They had not even been playing two minutes when he slipped and almost gifted the opener to Yáser Asprilla; they had been playing for 28 when he played a part in Girona getting the opener. Juanpe Ramírez’s pass bent into Arnaut Danjuma’s run, and Neto came to meet him – too far and too fast. With the goalkeeper isolated away from his line, Danjuma side-footed beyond him and into the empty net.
Between those moments Arsenal dominated, Nwaneri and Sterling always moving and Riccardo Calafiori appearing undetected at the most opportune moments. Sterling had flashed past the post and clipped a delivery for the impressive Leandro Trossard to bundle wide before a slightly daft penalty brought them level. Thomas Partey pushed past Arnau Martínez’s outstretched leg and on to the turf and Jorginho scored from the spot.
Then, just before half-time, came the moment. Heading in from the right, Nwaneri went across the face of the area, stepped away from opponents, waited for the target to come into range, and then, as if it was no big deal, bent past Pau López and into the net. “It’s very natural for him. The technique in motion is very rare, he is so precise finishing,” Arteta said.
The second period began with Trossard, who had already smashed one off the bar, providing chances for Gabriel Magalhães and Calafiori before having an effort of his own blocked. But the third goal would not come and Girona introduced the 38-year-old Cristhian Stuani to an ovation. This was not just a homage to the club’s most historic player and, six minutes later, he thought he had put them level. Instead, there was something cruel about the goal being ruled out, a portrait of how fine the margins have been in their first European season.
As time slipped away on their last night, Girona did get something to cheer when López, another man making his debut in this competition, saved Sterling’s penalty: a small victory if not an actual one, and a dignified departure. They have won just once and were already out, yet Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool and now Arsenal could only beat them by a single goal. But what a goal, what a moment. Sometimes the smallest things are the biggest. For the kid from Enfield, especially.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 8 | 12 | 21 |
| 2 | Barcelona | 8 | 15 | 19 |
| 3 | Arsenal | 8 | 13 | 19 |
| 4 | Inter Milan | 8 | 10 | 19 |
| 5 | Atletico Madrid | 8 | 8 | 18 |
| 6 | Bayer Leverkusen | 8 | 8 | 16 |
| 7 | Lille | 8 | 7 | 16 |
| 8 | Aston Villa | 8 | 7 | 16 |
| 9 | Atalanta | 8 | 14 | 15 |
| 10 | Borussia Dortmund | 8 | 10 | 15 |
| 11 | Real Madrid | 8 | 8 | 15 |
| 12 | Bayern Munich | 8 | 8 | 15 |
| 13 | AC Milan | 8 | 3 | 15 |
| 14 | PSV | 8 | 4 | 14 |
| 15 | PSG | 8 | 5 | 13 |
| 16 | Benfica | 8 | 4 | 13 |
| 17 | Monaco | 8 | 0 | 13 |
| 18 | Brest | 8 | -1 | 13 |
| 19 | Feyenoord | 8 | -3 | 13 |
| 20 | Juventus | 8 | 2 | 12 |
| 21 | Celtic | 8 | -1 | 12 |
| 22 | Man City | 8 | 4 | 11 |
| 23 | Sporting | 8 | 1 | 11 |
| 24 | Club Brugge | 8 | -4 | 11 |
| 25 | Dinamo Zagreb | 8 | -7 | 11 |
| 26 | Stuttgart | 8 | -4 | 10 |
| 27 | Shakhtar Donetsk | 8 | -8 | 7 |
| 28 | Bologna | 8 | -5 | 6 |
| 29 | Red Star Belgrade | 8 | -9 | 6 |
| 30 | Sturm Graz | 8 | -9 | 6 |
| 31 | Sparta Prague | 8 | -14 | 4 |
| 32 | RB Leipzig | 8 | -7 | 3 |
| 33 | Girona | 8 | -8 | 3 |
| 34 | Red Bull Salzburg | 8 | -22 | 3 |
| 35 | Slovan Bratislava | 8 | -20 | 0 |
| 36 | Young Boys | 8 | -21 | 0 |
