Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka knows how to "pick his moment in a genius way" while breakout star Ethan Nwaneri has "no fear", says former defender Ainsley Maitland-Niles.
A fellow Gunners academy graduate who is just four years older than Saka, Maitland-Niles saw the 23-year-old progress to becoming the key player he now is for Arsenal.
"I saw him coming through from when he was a little kid and he has really pushed on in the last four years," Maitland-Niles told BBC Sport.
"He has become one of the world's best wingers, very consistent, knows how to kill off a game and he can pick his moment in a genius way.
"I think [Arsenal] now rely on him a bit too much and you can't expect so much from such a young player. He hasn't even hit his prime yet. But, I think he is the driving force of the team and they miss a bit of attacking threat when he is not playing."
Maitland-Niles has become a key player to Ligue 1 side Lyon since joining in 2023, however, as a childhood Arsenal fan, he still watches the side today.
Like many, he has been impressed by winger Nwaneri who, after becoming the youngest player to represent the men's first team in September 2022 aged 15, has become a regular this campaign.
"Physically, he is absolutely incredible to watch. There is no fear in the kid," Maitland-Niles said.
"He is just going at people and trying to make things happen. You can see he is trying to become a leader very early in that team. He is trying to cement his place, which is difficult as he plays in the same positions as [Martin] Odegaard and Saka.
"He has the ability to do it, definitely, it is just whether he can keep his place when the big guns come back and are firing again.
"He has the world in front of him and he just needs to take it."
Read more from Maitland-Niles here
