Arsenal youngster impressed in comeback performance.
Arsenal youngster Ainsley Maitland-Niles caught the eye for the Gunners in their Carabao Cup win over Blackpool.
Maitland-Niles was making his first start of the season under Unai Emery, and his first appearance since the first game of the season.
The 21-year-old featured in midfield and was only substituted after an hour for tactical reasons following Matteo Guendouzi’s harsh red card.
During his 60 minutes of action at The Emirates, Maitland-Niles showed enough quality to demonstrate why he is so highly rated.
He made 24 appearances for Arsenal in all competitions last season, 16 as a starter, despite frequently being played out of position at left-back.
On Wednesday evening he was in central midfield, but some Arsenal fans wouldn’t mind seeing him picked over Granit Xhaka at left-back right now.
Considering this was Maitland-Niles’ first start for month, the youngster did well. He faces a fight to become a regular starter at Arsenal, but he clearly has enough quality to be a valuable contributor to the team, who is yet to reach his true potential.
Here is a look at how fans reacted to his performance…
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