Arsenal loanee Ethan Nwaneri was handed significant Champions League minutes for Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night as the teenager continued his encouraging start in Germany.
Nwaneri came off the bench after just 27 minutes of Dortmund’s 3-2 victory over Villarreal following a worrying problem for Konstantinos Karetsas.
The 19-year-old subsequently played 55 minutes before being withdrawn late on, gaining valuable experience in his first Champions League appearance since leaving Arsenal on loan.
UEFA’s official statistics show Nwaneri completed 91 per cent of his passes during his time on the pitch.
Ethan Nwaneri makes impact for Dortmund
Nwaneri almost played a direct role in Dortmund taking the lead shortly after half-time.
Borussia Dortmund’s official match report says the Arsenal midfielder was found by Felix Nmecha in the 51st minute before Pape Gueye’s sliding challenge denied him a shooting opportunity and sent the ball against the post.
Dortmund eventually went ahead two minutes later and won 3-2 through two late Serhou Guirassy goals.
Nwaneri had initially started on the bench, but Karetsas was forced off after suffering what Dortmund described as a circulation problem.
The unexpected introduction gave the Arsenal academy graduate another substantial opportunity only eight days after completing his season-long move.
ReadArsenal previously reported why Arsenal sanctioned Nwaneri’s Dortmund loan, with regular senior minutes central to the decision.
Those minutes are already arriving.
Nwaneri played 58 minutes on his Bundesliga debut against Hoffenheim before adding another 55 in Europe’s biggest club competition.
He is yet to register a Dortmund goal or assist, but consecutive appearances provide exactly the competitive exposure Arsenal wanted when allowing one of Hale End’s highest-rated graduates to leave temporarily.
With no permanent option included in the deal, his progress in Germany remains particularly relevant to Arsenal’s long-term plans.
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