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17 hours ago
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What was it Mikel Arteta had said? “We’ve got some player there”. With four minutes left in Arsenal’s last Champions League match of a highly successful group stage, Ethan Nwaneri began his walk around the pitch at Montilivi. As he did so, they waited for him with open arms on the bench and, in the small main stand, Arsenal supporters and staff stood and applauded. He was in no hurry; he had given everything, after all, and anyway he was happy to take it all in.
Ultimately, this had been a comfortable enough night for Arsenal, and it had always been likely to be; they had earned that right and a 2-1 win over Girona sent them directly to the last 16, as expected. What made it more memorable was that the 17-year-old from Enfield, already the youngest player in Premier League history, marked his first start in this competition with a superb performance and the wonderful goal that gave them the win here. If Arsenal are to make the final this season, it would only be the second ever, along with 2006. The kid who marked this occasion and may well mark many more hadn’t even been born that night.
Arteta had noted that qualification was not yet mathematically assured but the numbers were very much on their side: the chances of them not making it were less than 0.1% and, with Manchester City coming at the weekend, the Arsenal coach did make changes. That meant a starting XI without Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz. David Raya did not start either as it was decided he was not fully fit. There was, instead, a first Champions League start for Nwaneri, who has something special about him: a speed and gracefulness to his movement, self-assuredness in everything he does.
At the other end, Neto made his first appearance in this competition in five years and it didn’t go entirely as planned. They hadn’t even been playing two minutes when he slipped and almost gifted the opening goal to Yáser Asprilla; they had been playing for 28 when he played a part in Girona opening the scoring. A lovely ball from Juanpe Ramírez bent into the path of Arnaut Danjuma’s clever run, and Neto came to meet him – too far and too fast. With the goalkeeper isolated and a long way from his line, Danjuma side-footed the ball beyond him and into the empty net.
There had been flashes from Girona already, an intent when they came forward. One gorgeous piece of skill from Danjuma caught the eye, leaving Thomas Partey behind him with a flick of the ankle. Yet between Neto’s chaotic moments, Arsenal had mostly dominated, Nwaneri and Raheem Sterling always on the move on either side of the pitch, Riccardo Calafiori disappearing and reappearing undetected at opportune moments. Sterling had flashed one past the post and clipped in a neat delivery for Leandro Trossard, who couldn’t react in time to guide to ball goalwards.
Although Danjuma and Viktor Tsygankov almost created a second for Girona, deep into the Arsenal area, the visitors took charge swiftly. It needed a slightly light and daft penalty, Partey pushing his way through Arnau Martínez’s outstretched leg and on to the turf, but Jorginho scored. Soon after that came the moment that made the night that bit more special. Coming in from the right, Nwaneri headed across the face of the area, stepped away from opponents, waited for his moment, a glimpse of a way through, and then bent a wonderful shot past Pau López and into the net.
At the opening of the second half, Trossard led Arsenal in search of another. He provided passes for Gabriel Magalhães and Calafiori to shoot past the right-hand post, and had an effort of his own blocked. Girona introduced Cristhian Stuani to an ovation; 38 now and the most significant player in the club’s history, he had made his professional debut before Nwaneri was born. The game though was drifting a little.
Playing here was a reward, but it was not just about giving him what he deserved, not simply a homage, and six minutes later, there he was doing what he has done 134 times for his club. Portu’s delivery from the right was superb, Stuani slid in at the far post to score, and for a moment everything felt worthwhile. The smile on the face of the coach Míchel Sánchez said it all. So though did the linesman’s flag, something both cruel and fitting about the goal being ruled out on a margin as fine as they have been throughout Girona’s debut campaign in this competition, the perfect portrait.
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And so instead the night, Girona’s last of a historic if ultimately painful adventure, slipped away. Until, right at the end, they were given something to cheer, a moment to celebrate, a memory made. Arsenal won a penalty and Sterling stepped up to take. Pau López, another man making his Champions league debut, dived to his left to push it past the post.
It was a small victory if not an actual victory, and the dignified departure they surely deserved. Girona have won just once and were already out, but Milan, PSG, Liverpool and Arsenal have now all beaten them by a single goal. Sometimes the smallest things are the biggest. For the kid from Enfield, especially.
