Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta praised young Ghanaian talent Charles Sagoe Jr, hailing him as the most consistent player in the under-23 squad.
This acknowledgment came as Sagoe Jr seized an unexpected first-team chance during Arsenal's Carabao Cup victory against Brentford on Wednesday.
The Gunners secured a hard-fought 1-0 win, with Reiss Nelson scoring the crucial goal, propelling them into the fourth round where they will face West Ham.
Arteta made significant alterations to the Arsenal lineup, opting to rest key players such as Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, and William Saliba.
Sagoe Jr, a product of the club's academy, was thrust into the front line alongside Nelson and Eddie Nketiah. Arteta underscored that this opportunity was a recognition of the 19-year-old's sustained excellence in the youth teams.
“Obviously the context of the situation with a lot of injured players helped that possibility. But every time we can we have to look in our academy and give chances,” Arteta emphasized in a post-match press conference.
“Chaz was probably one of the most consistent players we’ve had in the under-23s for a few months.
“He’s been training with us quite a lot and it’s about giving opportunities to people and if we don’t give it today, when are we going to give opportunities to our youngsters?
“I’m really happy that he had a good experience.’'