Mikel Arteta can follow proven Pep Guardiola blueprint to finally unleash Arsenal's Phil Foden

Latest Arsenal news as Ethan Nwaneri continues to flirt with a permanent stay in the Gunners' first team this season

Arsenal have a generational talent in Ethan Nwaneri. Mikel Arteta, Jack Wilshere and a number of current first-team players have spoken highly of the teenager and there's a special excitement around him.

Nwaneri has been at the club since he turned nine and has been a predominant player in the youth teams. By the age of 14, he was appearing for the Under-18s. Now, still yet to turn 18, the midfielder has played 28 times for the Under-21s - scoring 11 times and assisting five - and 23 times with the Under-18s.

In September 2022, he became the youngest player to ever appear in the Premier League at the age of 15 years and 181 days. Since then, he has only played two more games for Arteta's team, with the most recent coming in Sunday's north London derby win over Tottenham.

Since taking over from Unai Emery in 2019, Arteta has done so much right. After turning the club from Champions League outsiders, the Gunners are now consistent title challengers against one of the greatest teams the Premier League has ever seen.

However, his utilisation of promising talents from within the academy has been one of the handful of problematic areas highlighted during his tenure. Despite having the fourth-youngest team on average in the Premier League (25.1 years) in the 2022/23 season, opportunities have been somewhat limited in some parts in the past.

In December 2023, Arteta labelled Nwaneri "unique". Speaking before the Champions League draw with PSV Eindhoven, he said: "Something unique he's got is his ability to take the ball in tight areas, to escape like Jack Wilshere used to do.

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"The personality he has, he trains with us like he trains with the Under 18s and I love that. He's got that thing between his teeth that he wants to show every single day how good he is. When you have someone like that, you have to give him hope as well.

"I think it was a strong sign for him (making his Premier League debut) that this was his place to keep developing."

Nwaneri is the player who fans are excited about the most in the academy and it only seems to be a matter of time before he becomes a regular in the team. Fortunately for Arsenal, there is a blueprint for the perfect timing to implement him in senior football.

Phil Foden was in Nwaneri's position during the 2017/18 season. At 17, he was in and out of Manchester City's squad and made a number of substitution appearances. From February, he came off the bench in four Premier League games, clocking up 37 minutes.

The following season saw him make 26 appearances for Pep Guardiola's side, with all but 11 coming off the bench. By the time the 2019 season started, when Foden was 19, he was a regular in City's team. A further 16 appearances were secured in the first-team before he played 50 times in the behind-closed-doors 2020/21 season.

Guardiola gradually implemented Foden into the Man City set-up over the course of three seasons before the forward became one of the first names on the team sheet. Nwaneri turns 18 in March, so it's paramount that his first-team opportunities increase throughout this season.

Foden is now one of England's most valuable players. When he came onto the scene at the Etihad Stadium, everyone knew his potential. The way that Guardiola and City developed him is the perfect blueprint for Arsenal to use on Nwaneri.