‘He deserved that’: Mikel Arteta praises Arsenal midfielder after FA Cup third round win

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January 11, 2026 20:49 GMT (UK), by Sri Aswin

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has heaped praise on Ethan Nwaneri following the club’s 4-1 win over Portsmouth in the FA Cup third round at Fratton Park.

The Gunners progressed to the fourth round of the Cup competition after a resounding win on the road. Gabriel Martinelli was the standout performer for the north London giants with his maiden career hat-trick.

Speaking after the game, Arteta was posed with plenty of questions. One of those was centred on Nwaneri, who made a rare start for the Gunners, having been a regular unused Premier League substitute of late.

In response he said: “He deserved that. Because of the strength of the squad and the players that are in the positions, he hasn’t been able to play. Today he’s done it, and I think he had some very good minutes.”

Nwaneri was one of the standout performers during the opening half at Fratton Park. The Gunners had a slender 2-1 lead, but should have easily been four or five goals up based on the chances created.

The youngster did not make a direct goal contribution, but he made several runs into the final third and caught the eye with his impressive link-up play. He will be hoping for more minutes going forward.