Ayden Heaven Arsenal and Mikel Arteta truth laid bare after Man United first impression

Just a couple of months after leaving Arsenal for Manchester United, Ayden Heaven has already shown why the move was probably the right one for his career.

The 18-year-old defender had made just one first team appearance for Arsenal, a 10 minute cameo in the fourth round Carabao Cup win over Preston North End this season, before making the move to Old Trafford in January. He has now featured in the last four games in all competitions for Man United, starting the last two.

Injury in the early part of the second half in the 3-0 away win against Leicester City could see him forced to sit out upcoming games. The teenager was stretchered from the pitch after receiving lengthy treatment and appeared to be in significant pain.

Before the injury, Heaven has been praised for his performances in stepping into the United team in recent weeks. It has led to talk over if Arsenal could regret losing him.

However, it would likely have been a different story if he had stayed at the Emirates Stadium in January. The strength at centre-back in the Arsenal squad means that Heaven would have had to break up the strong partnership of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes if he wanted to have a chance in either the Premier League or the Champions League.

His one opportunity to get game time would come in the cup competitions, but Arsenal’s exit from the FA Cup at the third round means that opportunity is not there. It means that Heaven would have, at best, been sat on the bench at the Emirates Stadium, instead of getting valuable first-team game time.

Mikel Arteta has shown that he is not afraid to give youth players a chance this season. Both Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri are now regulars in the starting lineup after making the breakthrough.

But to get that game time, both players are currently playing out of position. While Lewis-Skelly plays at left-back for the first team, his entire youth career has been spent playing in central midfield.

Nwaneri is in a similar situation. Injury to Bukayo Saka saw the 17-year-old fast-tracked to the first team in the right wing position, but his preferred position is in a more central attacking midfield role.

The strength of Arsenal’s squad means that young players will have to adapt their game and possibly play different positions to make a breakthrough. Unfortunately for Heaven, there was no way through at either centre-back, or even in central defensive midfield.

Therefore, with the defender showing at United, that he is ready for first team football, a move away for Arsenal was the best decision for the player. Upon his return from injury, he will be hoping to continue to show why that is the case.

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