League Cup: Arsenal cruise to win against Bolton

Arsenal have recorded a cruising win against League One club Bolton Wanderers in the Carabao Cup third round.

It was a historic night for teenager Ethan Nwaneri, scoring his first goals as they cruised to victory over a League One club.

The 17-year-old scored his first Arsenal goal in his first senior start for the club when he slotted into an empty net from Raheem Sterling’s cross. He got his brace when he punished the visitors for some sloppy defending play to pick up the ball from Declan Rice and roll under Luke Southwood.

Nwaneri’s goals came after he had already played a part in Arsenal’s 16th-minute opener with a fizzed cross, which Scott Arfield failed to clear, and Rice dispatched a calm finish into the bottom corner.

Sterling, who also scored in his first starts for the gunners, proved to be a thorn in Bolton’s flesh as he tapped home from a couple of yards in the 64th minute after Southwood spilled Bukayo Saka’s effort.

Substitute Kai Havertz secured a convincing win at Emirates Stadium after guiding home a rebound when Sterling’s shot was saved.

After a brilliant counter-attack, Bolton had reduced the deficit to 3-1 through Aaron Collins in the 53rd minute. This consolation denied teenage Arsenal goalkeeper Jack Porter a clean sheet on his record-setting senior debut.

The goalie, 16 years and 72 days old, became the youngest player to start a first-team game for the Gunners, breaking a record set by Cesc Fabregas in October 2003.

Porter replaced first-choice goalie David Raya between the stick because he was ruled out with a thigh injury, and summer signing Neto was cup-tied, having already featured in the competition this season for parent club Bournemouth.

Arsenal’s next fixture will be against promoted side Leicester City at the Emirate stadium on Saturday as they continue their campaign in the Premier League.