Ethan Nwaneri produced a scintillating performance to help England Under-21s secure an impressive 4-0 victory over Moldova in a European Championship qualifier. The Arsenal attacking midfielder recorded two assists on the night, including setting up a stunning effort from Chelsea winger Jamie Gittens, as the Three Lions maintained their perfect record in qualifying after two matches.
Nwaneri sets up Gittens' stunning first-half strike
Operating with plenty of freedom as a number 10, Nwaneri played a crucial role as England broke the deadlock after 28 minutes. The 18-year-old attracted two Moldova players as he made a brilliant run before offloading the ball to Gittens, who cut inside and found the bottom corner with a fantastic strike. It was Gittens’ first U21s goal since scoring in his side’s 7-0 thrashing of Luxembourg back in March 2024.
AdvertisementArsenal youngster plays key role in England's next two goals
And Nwaneri picked up where he left off after the half-time interval, playing a delightful pass through to Manchester City striker Divin Mubama who doubled England’s lead after 68 minutes. Nwaneri was involved yet again moments later as another clever through ball found Fulham midfielder Josh King, who was brought down inside the area for a penalty. Mubama was given the responsibility for the spot-kick and he coolly slotted the ball home to make it 3-0 to the visitors, who then added a fourth late on through City defender Rico Lewis.
Getty Images SportVictory over Moldova sees England maintain perfect record
The victory over Moldova ensured England kept up their perfect record in qualification for the European Championship, having beaten Kazakhstan U21s 2-0 in their opening fixture in September. Lee Carsley’s side briefly topped Group D following the win over Moldova but the 2-2 draw between the Republic of Ireland and Slovakia saw both sides move above them. They have played one game more than England, however.
Nwaneri hoping England form leads to more Arsenal minutes
Nwaneri will be hoping his fine form during the international break will help him secure more first-team minutes at Arsenal. The youngster has found opportunities hard to come by in 2025-26, having been an unused substitute in five of Arsenal’s 10 fixtures in all competitions this season. However, with Martin Odegaard having sustained a knee injury in the Gunners’ 2-0 Premier League victory over West Ham before the international break, manager Mikel Arteta will be considering who is best placed to replace his captain when his side return to action against Fulham on Saturday, 18 October. And Nwaneri has done his chances no harm after starring in a midfield role in England U21s’ win over Moldova, with many believing he is better when deployed in the middle of the park rather than out wide.