Carabao Cup: Nwaneri stars as Arsenal cruise past Bolton

Ethan Nwaneri scored two goals as Arsenal cruised to a 5-1 victory over League One side Bolton, advancing to the Carabao Cup fourth round.

The 17-year-old, making his first senior start for the Gunners, opened the scoring by slotting into an empty net from Raheem Sterling’s cross, before capitalizing on a defensive mistake to net his second by calmly rolling the ball past Bolton goalkeeper Luke Southwood.

Nwaneri was involved in Arsenal’s 16th-minute opener. His dangerous cross led to a mis-clearance by Scott Arfield, allowing Declan Rice to finish with composure.

Raheem Sterling, making his first start for Arsenal since joining from Chelsea, added his name to the scoresheet in the 64th minute, tapping in from close range after Southwood spilt a shot from Bukayo Saka. Kai Havertz rounded off the dominant win by scoring a rebound after Sterling’s initial shot was saved.

Bolton’s Aaron Collins scored a consolation goal in the 53rd minute, denying Arsenal’s 16-year-old goalkeeper, Jack Porter, a clean sheet on his record-setting debut. Porter, who became the youngest player to start for Arsenal at 16 years and 72 days, stepped up after regular goalkeeper David Raya was sidelined with an injury.

Arsenal’s commanding performance secured their place in the next round as Nwaneri’s standout display set the tone for a memorable night at the Emirates.