da brwin： Arsenal’s 3-1 defeat to Leicester City wasn’t an easy night for youngster Ainsley Maitland-Niles.
da casino： Making only his second Premier League appearance of the season at right-back, the Foxes clearly targeted the youngster due to his inexperience; 47% of their attacking play came down the left flank, which was essentially the source for Leicester’s first two goals.
A looped cross travelled from left to right before being finished off by Kelechi Iheanacho, while Maitland-Niles’ failure to contain Demarai Gray eventually saw Henrikh Mkhitaryan foul the English winger for a penalty kick.
And yet, despite the 20-year-old’s difficulties, there were still moments of individual quality that really shone through at the King Power Stadium. He actually created the joint-most chances, completed the most dribbles and made the joint-second-most tackles of any Gunners player, although the England U21’s 16 possession losses served as a key reminder that he still suffers from the inconsistency of youth.
Whoever replaces Arsene Wenger at the Emirates Stadium this summer will be desperate to make his mark on the squad via the transfer market, but the glimmers of huge potential Maitland-Niles has shown during his short Arsenal career suggest he could be even more valuable than a new signing for the north Londoners.
Rather than investing money in big names, Arsenal’s next manager should be investing his time in Arsenal’s promising young players instead – starting with Maitland-Niles. Not only will it help preserve the distinct Arsenal DNA Wenger will leave behind once he officially steps down, but it will also save the club a fortune in transfer fees.
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