Mikel Arteta gives four Hale End stars huge Arsenal chance ahead of Champions League clash

Arsenal have included Tommy Setford, Ayden Heaven, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri as part of the club’s official first-team squad photo for the 2024/25 season. The Gunners travel to Atalanta in the Champions League on Thursday and those four players could be involved.

Setford, who joined from Ajax for just under £1million back in July, was named on the bench against Brighton last month and featured twice for England Under 19s during the September international break. The 18-year-old is third-choice at the Emirates after Arsenal failed in their attempts to sign one, with Dan Bentley and Sam Tickle both targeted. David Raya is still No.1 and Neto has arrived as back-up after his move from Bournemouth.

Heaven signed for Arsenal from West Ham in 2019 and has since continued his development. Still only 17, he joined the Gunners on their pre-season tour of the United States in the summer and impressed against Manchester United. Heaven has started for the Under 21s in each of their first three Premier League 2 matches and was named on the bench for the first-team against Tottenham on Sunday.

Lewis-Skelly, another product of the Arsenal academy, is also yet to make a senior appearance but has been integral for the U21s over the past couple of years. In that period, the 17-year-old has played 27 times for that age group but has now started to get involved in the first-team picture, having been included on the bench for recent Premier League matches against Brighton and Tottenham.

Nwaneri is a more prominent figure to Arsenal fans compared to the other three, having already made three senior appearances. The teenager became the youngest player to ever appear in the Premier League at the age of 15 years and 181 days during a game against Brentford in September 2022. He played his second game in a 6-0 win at West Ham earlier this year, before coming off the bench against Tottenham on Sunday.

With Setford, Heaven, Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri included in the team photo, it suggests that Arteta is going to give them a more prominent role this season, starting with Thursday’s Champions League trip to Atalanta. None of them have played in the Champions League before, so that would be a first before even looking at the bigger matches. Considering the number of players out injured right now, there is a high likelihood some, if not all, of the four will be at least on the bench for the game in Bergamo.

The Gunners returned to winning ways with a 1-0 victory over Tottenham on the weekend. Gabriel’s second-half header proved to be the difference as Mikel Arteta’s side made it 10 points from their opening four matches. They sit second only behind Manchester City ahead of Sunday’s blockbuster game at the Etihad Stadium.