UCL: Nwaneri late sub, Butler-Oyedeji benched as Arsenal lose to Paris Saint-Germain

Nigerian-eligible midfielder Ethan Nwaneri made a late appearance while Nathan Butler-Oyedeji remained an unused substitute as Arsenal suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in a Champions League semifinal clash at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night.

Ethan Nwaneri came on in the final minutes of the match, replacing captain Martin Ødegaard, while Nathan Butler-Oyedeji remained on the bench despite Arsenal trailing for most of the game following an early strike from Ousmane Dembélé.

France international Ousmane Dembélé score the decisive goal in the 4th minute, latching onto a cut-back from Kvicha Kvaratskhelia and fired a first-time shot off the inside of the post.

The goal gave the visitors momentum, allowing them to dominate most of the first half, although the Gunners showed some spark in the final ten minutes before the break.

Arsenal carried that momentum into the second half and believed they had equalized when Merino headed in Declan Rice's free-kick, only for the goal to be ruled out by VAR for offside.

As Arsenal pushed to find an equalizer, Mikel Arteta brought on Ethan Nwaneri in the closing minutes, while Nathan Butler-Oyedeji remained on the bench despite his standout performances for the U21s in Premier League 2.

Nwaneri has enjoyed a strong campaign, scoring nine goals and providing two assists in 34 appearances across all competitions.

Meanwhile, Butler-Oyedeji has enjoyed an impressive season with Arsenal’s U21s in Premier League 2, netting nine goals and registering six assists in 13 appearances during the regular campaign.

His standout form earned him a call-up to the senior squad, where he made his debut in the UEFA Champions League.

Adeyemi Adewale

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