I don’t think i’ve ever spent as long staring at my phone in relation to an Aston Villa game in my life as I did last night. As the clock ticked in to added time it felt like the five minutes that was on offer (of which seven were played in the end…interesting…) lasted an eternity. And I was reminded about what it feels like to get to this stage of the season and be as worried about opponent results as I am The Arsenal’s.

We’ve all been talking it up for a few weeks now. The ol’ “They’ve got some tough games coming up in February” narrative was what was keeping many of us warm during those cold January nights. As our players succumbed to injury, as our attack looked like it was stuttering, it all started to see a little forlorn and the Villa 2-2 at The Emirates did – I’ll admit – have me openly saying that it’s probably ‘done’ for us.

I still think it is 80 – 90% Liverpool’s title and if you look at any of the probability and statistical reporting on the likelihood of Arsenal overcoming what is now an eight-point lead, you’d probably see similar figures based on data modelling. But as the old trope goes, football is a funny old game and at least last night’s draw has Arsenal fans clinging on to that little bit of hope that remains. Abacuses are out, permutations are being analysed, “what if’s” will be pondered in the pubs in the Highbury area come Saturday’s kick off against West Ham.

But the facts remain: three points at home to the Hammers (by far not a forgone conclusion given the scars of last season) brings us to within five of Liverpool. A helping hand from a – frankly – average City side (in comparison to previous iterations we’ve been up against) at the weekend and we could see ourselves within touching difference.

IF WE DO OUR JOB.

That’s been our struggle at crunch points so far this season. When  Liverpool have slipped up we have also done the same. But we are running out of road so if there is going to be some kind of miraculous close down (miraculous because of how decimated we are with injuries, with poor ol’ Tomiyasu the latest who’ll be on the treatment table until the end of the year, which the club confirmed this week), then we are going to have to move now and move with the players we have available.

One of which I think none of us saw coming in Ethan Nwaneri. I mean, we saw it coming in the sense he was our youngest ever Premier League debutant, he was good in pre season and he’s started to really look impressive when called upon so far in 2025. But I don’t think there’s an Arsenal fan out there who could have told you that he would be the shining light and hope from our attack come February, if you’d have asked them in August last year.

It’s already been talked about on social media and also in the big podcasts (particularly Arseblog and James), but that kid has absolute ice in his veins. If Bergkamp was our Ice Man, what is Nwaneri?

Ice Kid?

Whatever he is, we can be very thankful that he looks like a 28-year-old in a 17-year-old’s body, because he’s followed up his Giron Man of the Match performance with the same against Leicester at the weekend and all eyes are on whether he can follow that up on Saturday when we play West Ham. There will be more of a look at them and how they’re doing tomorrow, but for now let’s focus on this kid Ethan. He’s been a revelation. I don’t think it’s hyperbole to state that he’s been one of the reason’s we’re still even slightly dreaming about challenging for the title. His goal against Brighton, his performance against Leicester (in which he got an assist), is phenomenal. He’s 17-year’s old, for crying out loud. SEVENTEEN. That is astounding that he’s schooling professional’s who have a solid decade of experience and knowhow in elite football. He has no fear. But more than that, he is cool too. He comes across as so unimposing. He just gets on the pitch, does his stuff, get’s himself on the bus. Goals are greeted with finger wags. I imagine he gets home after playing for one of the biggest clubs in the country, gets his mum and dad asking him how was his day, he shrugs, puts on his slippers, flicks on the TV and says “yeah, alright. Got an assist”.

“Oh that’s nice love. Do you want a sandwich?”

The key for him will be to plot a trajectory which takes him to the stratosphere. That’s difficult. Footballing history is littered with teenagers who arrive on the scene, peak early, then never reach their potential. ESR was – I thought – going to be one of the greats at the club. But injury and an inability to find a position to make his own curtailed it. Then there are other examples like Iwobi, who I remember absolutely bossing a game against Everton as a teenager. He’s gone on to have a great career and fair play to him, but these two were two that I imagines being mainstays of their international teams and Arsenal for the best part of a decade.

But football isn’t linear. There are lots of variables and Nwaneri will need to have a bit of luck with injuries, the right people around him, as well as the right coaching to set him up to be a future great. The Ice Kid has all of the raw materials to be a superstar. It just needs to be managed and cultivated in the right way to set him on that path.

And with that I’m going to call time on today’s musings. I’ll be back tomorrow with my usual obsessive look at what West Ham fans are thinking ahead of the 3pm on Saturday. Catch you then.