Mikel Arteta’s son appears in Arsenal under-18s match for the first time

Mikel Arteta’s oldest son made his official debut for Arsenal’s under-18 team on Wednesday, contributing to their 3-0 victory over Reading at Bearwood Park.

Gabriel Arteta Bernal entered the match as a substitute in the 70th minute, during a game that featured a goal from Emerson Nwaneri (the 15-year-old brother of Ethan Nwaneri) and two goals from Alex Marciniak.

The 16-year-old had previously been listed on the bench for the under-18 friendly against Ipswich Town in February.

This appearance follows his competitive debut for the U17s in their Premier League Cup clash against Watford in October.

In contrast to his father, who played as a central midfielder for clubs such as Paris Saint-Germain, Everton, and Arsenal, Gabriel is primarily viewed as a winger.

Additionally, Dean Barker, QPR’s head of emerging talent, has confirmed his new role within the recruitment team at Arsenal’s academy.

Barker has experience as a PE teacher at the same institution that produced Arsenal academy player Ethan Nwaneri, who is currently on loan at Marseille after facing limited playing time during Arsenal’s Premier League title pursuit.

– Five times Arsenal have let the Premier League title slip away
– If the Premier League did an NFL-style draft, who would each team select?
– Premier League players out of contract: Who could leave your team on a free?