I hate it when I see some fans comparing me with Saka, without me They will be no Chelsea but Arsenal is still doing well without Saka, even if they will compare me,it should be with this Arsenal Academy player and not Saka because saka doesn’t have the qualities I possess”, Cole Palmer tells fans to shun Saka vs Palmer comparison now before it’s too late
I hate it when I see some fans comparing me with Saka, without me They will be no Chelsea but Arsenal is still doing well without Saka, even if they will compare me,it should be with this Arsenal Academy player and not Saka because saka doesn’t have the qualities I possess”, Cole Palmer tells fans to shun Saka vs Palmer comparison now before it’s too late
Cole was effusive in his praise of Ethan Nwaneri, comparing the 17-year-old to Lionel Messi after his glittering performance in Arsenal’s 2-0 win against Leicester City at the King Power Stadium
Nwaneri was vital in Mikel Arteta’s side closing the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool to four points as he delivered the assist for Mikel Merino’s first goal, seeking out the makeshift striker with a pinpoint cross.
In an injury-hit Arsenal side, Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly have consistently been bright sparks on the pitch.
Nwaneri was particularly impressive on Saturday, earning huge praise from TNT Sports pundit Joe Cole.
“He’s a strong little thing. You can’t mark him because he can go both ways,” Cole said on TNT Sports. “These touches he produces in and around the box, I don’t want to say it, but it’s like Messi.
“I don’t want to put any more pressure on the kid’s shoulders, I’m sure he’ll deal with it. He plays with such confidence and he’s a beautiful player.
“The one thing I would say, and he’s already had a hamstring injury this year, Arsenal and Mikel Arteta have to protect him.
“They’re chasing the game now. I imagine there will have been conversations where they say ‘we need to make sure he’s ready for next week’. You don’t want him to get into the same situation where it’s like a Michael Owen and he’s reliant on him.”
While Arteta deployed Merino as a striker late in the game, Nwaneri, Leandro Trossard and Sterling are the only fit forward options at the manager’s disposal at this stage of the campaign.
Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are working their way back to fitness, while Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus are both out for the season.
“It’s almost like Saka,” Keown told TNT Sports. “It’s a huge leg-up for the club. You lose Saka and you’ve almost got his twin out there. This young man, I thought he was immense. He’s so confident and he steps into the ball and he’s aggressive when he travels with it.
“He looks so assured for such a young man. His decision-making is different class. His skill set, the pace, he’s assured in possession, he’s confident, he’s determined, hits it off his left foot, hits it off his right just as well and it’s all there. Boy, do we need him.”
