The choice by Arteta to play Ethan Nwaneri against Brentford has drawn criticism from former England player Danny Murphy.
Nwaneri was fielded by Arsenal with four minutes remaining in their 3-0 victory over the Bees in match week seven of the Premier League.
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As a result, at 15 years and 181 days old, he became the Premier League’s youngest player.
Arsenal fans chanted, ‘He’s going to school in the morning!’ as the academy star, who had previously played for the U18 team, made history in the English Premier League.
But Danny Murphy insists it was a bad decision. Following the game, he stated on TalkSPORT:
“I am not convinced it is the best move for a young player, I’m really not.
“I have seen superstars come on the scene at a young age and thrive and go on and carry on, but there has also been a lot who have fallen by the wayside.”
“He is obviously a super-talent, doing well in training and impressing everybody, but surely they have got other 18, 19 and 20-year-olds who are further ahead in their development who could have gone on the bench.”
“I think Arteta is probably trying to keep a young superstar happy but I’m not sure about it.”