Ethan Nwaneri scored on his full debut as England Under-21s beat Portugal in an entertaining friendly at The Hawthorns.
Ethan Nwaneri turned eighteen on Friday
After just ten minutes, Nwaneri, who turned eighteen on Friday, curled the ball into the bottom corner from the edge of the box to double the lead after midfielder Hayden Hackney had put the home team ahead.
Nwaneri, 18, skillfully moved the ball onto his left foot and curved it into the bottom corner when Jobe Bellingham saw him in space outside the box.
Halfway through the first half, Portugal grabbed one back through captain Fabio Silva, who tucked away Rodrigo Pinheiro’s close-range cross. Portugal had been close when it was still goalless.
Pedro Santos’ attempt came back off the post just after Silva thought he had been taken out by England goalkeeper James Beadle, giving the visitors a chance to tie the score at halftime.
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Both teams had opportunities
After the half, both teams had opportunities, but Omari Hutchinson’s close-range goal to increase England’s lead didn’t come until the 76th minute.
Carlos Forbs, however, scored Portugal’s second goal five minutes from time after his first attempt was blocked.
The visitors tried to tie the score, but Jaden Philogene’s cool finish at the conclusion of a quick counterattack in stoppage time gave Lee Carsley’s team the victory.
Creative outlet from the right side of the field
Nwaneri has been a revelation for Arsenal boss, Mikel Arteta. He has impressed with the limited game time that he has been offered and has proved to be a strong replacement for Bukayo Saka.
In the absence of the whole Arsenal frontline, he has been a creative outlet from the right side of the field and plays like an experienced player. With his pace and dribbling, he can become a great player in the near future.
