Arsenal revel in the promise of youth on a night to remember for Jack Porter and Ethan Nwaneri

After all the talk of the so-called “dark arts” following Sunday’s meeting with Manchester City, here was a night of light work for an Arsenal team bursting with the thrilling promise of youth.

A record-breaking evening for Mikel Arteta’s side included the appearance of a 16-year-old goalkeeper and a double by one of the most exciting youngsters in the English game. No matter what happens in the career of Jack Porter, a goalkeeper who only turned 16 in July, he will always have this night on his CV and in his mind. The night he became a professional footballer, playing in front of 60,000 fans at the Emirates, and the night he tasted victory for the first time in the senior game.

The youngest player to ever start a match for Arsenal’s first team, beating a record previously held by Cesc Fabregas, Porter appeared to enjoy his big evening. He certainly had a good view of the action unfolding at the other end of the pitch, where a fellow teenager ­demonstrated his own enormous ability against a struggling Bolton Wanderers side.

Ethan Nwaneri, the youngest player in Premier League history, has long been regarded as one of the most gifted prospects in Arsenal’s academy. Here, on his first start for the club, the 17-year-old demonstrated why. His two goals told a story of their own, as did his clever touches and feints. “Since his journey with the first team, he has always been ahead of what everybody expected,” Arteta said of Nwaneri. “I think he really feels part of us. You can tell that he’s playing with that confidence.”

There was even more good news for Arteta, as Raheem Sterling excelled in attack. Sterling will face tougher opponents this season than Bolton, 19th in League One, but he looked unquestionably sharp here with a goal and an assist.

In usual circumstances, the pre-match talk would have been dominated by the teenage outfielders in Arteta’s team, but on this occasion, the inclusion of Porter trumped all. It is one thing to select a 16-year-old in a competitive match, and another thing altogether to select a 16-year-old goalkeeper. This is football’s most unforgiving position and one can only imagine the thoughts running through young Porter’s head as this match kicked off. After all, he only made his debut for Arsenal’s under-21s in August.

This was not just new territory for him, but an entirely new world. Porter’s inclusion was necessary because Arsenal found themselves in an extraordinary set of circumstances. David Raya was not deemed fit enough to play after requiring medical treatment in Sunday’s draw with Manchester City, while back-up goalkeeper Neto was cup-tied. Third-choice Tommy Setford was injured.

“Arsenal is about giving young players the opportunity,” said academy manager Per Mertesacker before kick-off. “We are now in a situation where we are obviously focused on holistic development. They are not just playing football, they are doing so much more. I think Jack Porter should have been doing his education today, so he needs to catch up on that.”

Porter’s nerves would not have been eased by the unfamiliar nature of the defence in front of him. This was far from Arsenal’s usual back line, and it featured two teenagers at full-back: Josh Nichols at right-back, and the hugely promising Myles Lewis-Skelly on the left. Nichols has been the subject of less hype than Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri, but he started impressively on the right flank. It was his run and cross, after a neat exchange with Nwaneri, that led to Declan Rice’s opening goal after 16 minutes.

The second goal came down the opposite side, with Lewis-Skelly producing an excellent pass to set Sterling free. Sterling found the cross that Nwaneri needed for his first senior goal for Arsenal. His second was to follow soon after the break, as Rice won the ball and played him through. It was a moment that triggered the home crowd’s first chant for him, as the Arsenal faithful declared Nwaneri “one of our own”.

At this point, it looked set to be the perfect night for Arsenal but Bolton were not yet in the mood to roll over. A counter-attack resulted in Aaron Collins skipping round Porter before sidefooting home. Inevitably, there were nervous moments for Porter. Shortly after that goal, he shanked the ball straight to a green shirt.

Overall, though, he handled himself well. Arsenal’s home crowd cheered his every touch, and the senior players applauded his every precise pass. If Bolton’s goal had raised the hopes of their fans, then Sterling’s effort soon ripped it away again. Prodding home from close range, it was the sort of goal Sterling scored so often at City. It was Sterling’s shot that then allowed Kai Havertz to tap in the fifth on the rebound.

Arsenal ease into fourth round, as it happened

10:14 PM BST

The future is bright for Arsenal

10:01 PM BST

A proud day for Arsenal’s academy

09:52 PM BST

Arsenal’s strong year goes on

09:45 PM BST

‘Porter will always have tonight’

09:40 PM BST

FULL TIME: Arsenal 5 Bolton 1

Arsenal move through to the fourth round with a straight forward win over their League One opponent.

Arsenal six academy players looked at home in senior football while the likes of Sterling made his mark in a red shirt for the first time.

09:38 PM BST

90+3mins: Arsenal 5 Bolton 1

One final test for Porter as Bolton win a late corner. But the 16-year-old passes it with flying colours, coming out and claiming the ball well.

And the final whistle blows.

09:33 PM BST

90mins: Arsenal 5 Bolton 1

Four minutes added on.

09:33 PM BST

89mins: Arsenal 5 Bolton 1

Martinelli has looked lively since coming on but his end product continues to let him down. Desperately needs a goal to boost his confidence.

09:30 PM BST

86mins: Arsenal 5 Bolton 1

Into the closing stages at the Emirates and the heavy is falling heavily. The Bolton want to get off the pitch now.

09:24 PM BST

80mins: Arsenal 5 Bolton 1

Arsenal subs

OFF Sterling
ON Kabia

09:23 PM BST

79mins: Arsenal 5 Bolton 1

Bolton subs

OFF McAtee & Collins
ON Adeboyejo & Charles

09:22 PM BST

77mins: Arsenal 5 Bolton 1 GOAL

Sterling, who has been sharp all night, picks up the ball in the box and his shot is saved by Southwood but from the rebound, Havertz flicks into the net.

That’s his third goal of the season.

09:16 PM BST

72mins: Arsenal 4 Bolton 1

Reshuffle at the back for Arsenal after those changes. Kiwior has moved to left-back with Kacurri alongside Gabriel.

Sterling has replaced Saka on the right wing.

09:14 PM BST

70mins: Arsenal 4 Bolton 1

Arsenal subs

OFF Calafiori & Saka
ON Martinelli & Kacurri

Bolton subs

OFF Forino-Joseph
ON Johnston

09:13 PM BST

68mins: Arsenal 4 Bolton 1

Bolton subs

OFF Dempsey & Arfield 
ON Thomason & Matete

09:11 PM BST

‘A poacher’s finish’

It’s not quite the same goal he scored over and over again for City but that’s still a poacher’s finish inside the six-yard box by Raheem Sterling. Just like the old days on the City training ground with Arteta...

09:08 PM BST

63mins: Arsenal 4 Bolton 1 GOAL

That should do it for Arsenal. Saka toys with his man and fires a shot at Southwood. The ball squirms under the Bolton keeper and Sterling is there to tap in from one yard.

A first start and a first Arsenal goal for Sterling.

09:07 PM BST

62mins: Arsenal 3 Bolton 1

Porter is a lucky boy. Gabriel plays it back to him, Porter tries to lift a pass over Collins but gets it wrong, passing straight to the attacker. Fortunately for the Arsenal keeper, the ball ricochets high and wide.

09:05 PM BST

61mins: Arsenal 3 Bolton 1

Lewis-Skelly goes down again and it appears he can’t continue.

Arsenal subs:

OFF Lewis-Skelly & Rice
ON Gabriel & Havertz

Very surprised Saka is still playing.

09:02 PM BST

58mins: Arsenal 3 Bolton 1

09:00 PM BST

56mins: Arsenal 3 Bolton 1

An issue for Lewis-Skelly, who is receiving treatment for an ankle problem. The 17-year-old walks off the pitch but looks to be OK to continue.

08:57 PM BST

52mins: Arsenal 3 Bolton 1 GOAL

Against the run of play, Bolton get one back. McAtee releases Collins, with Jorginho the only Arsenal man back.

Collins has Porter to beat, goes around the teenager and passes into an empty net.

Game on?

08:54 PM BST

48mins: Arsenal 3 Bolton 0 GOAL

Nwaneri at the double. Forino-Joseph carelessly gives the ball away and Rice bursts on to it and lays it off to Nwaneri, who runs in unchallenged and slots past Southwood.

‘He’s one of our own, he’s one of our own, Ethan Nwaneri, he’s one of our own’ rings around the Emirates.

08:48 PM BST

Second Half: Arsenal 2 Bolton 0

No changes for either side at the break. A bit surprising that Arteta has kept Saka and Rice on the field.

08:43 PM BST

Social media reaction

08:34 PM BST

HALF TIME: Arsenal 2 Bolton 0

Arsenal look well on course for the fourth round courtesy of goals from Rice and Nwaneri.

Arteta may look to make changes at the break to keep his first-team players fresh.

08:32 PM BST

‘There’s a reason for all the hype’

A first assist for Raheem Sterling, which feels significant. But far more significant than that is a first goal for Ethan Nwaneri. The Arsenal fans like what they see. We have to be careful with players who are so young but there’s a reason for all the hype...

08:31 PM BST

45mins: Arsenal 2 Bolton 0

Big miss from Jesus. He is played through on goal, uses his shoulder to brush his man aside and with time to shoot, he puts the ball wide of the post. He had to get that on target.

Three minutes added on.

08:29 PM BST

43mins: Arsenal 2 Bolton 0

Lewis-Skelly is inverting from left-back like Zinchenko and making it look easy. He started in the Arsenal academy as a midfielder so playing in that position is not unusual for him.

08:27 PM BST

41mins: Arsenal 2 Bolton 0

Sterling tests Southwood from distance with a curling effort from outside the box. The Bolton keeper pushes the ball out for a corner.

08:23 PM BST

37mins: Arsenal 2 Bolton 0 - GOAL

Special moment for Nwaneri. A defence spliting pass by Lewis-Skelly down the line, Sterling runs onto it and squares it across the box to Nwaneri, who is sprinting down the centre and scrambles the ball into the goal.

08:18 PM BST

33mins: Arsenal 1 Bolton 0

Yellow card for Calafiori after he pulls back a Bolton attacker.

08:18 PM BST

31mins: Arsenal 1 Bolton 0

Bolton earn themselves a corner. They opt not to crowd Porter and he gets a decent punch on the ball. Arsenal fail to clear their lines though, Bolton recycle the ball and McAtee shoots over. That was another chance for the away side.

08:15 PM BST

29mins: Arsenal 1 Bolton 0

Porter in the Arsenal goal still yet to be tested but he has looked at ease when needed to pass out from the back. The Arsenal fans behind are giving him plenty of encouragement.

08:11 PM BST

25mins: Arsenal 1 Bolton 0

Jesus wants a corner but the referee says no after his flick at the near post is deflected wide.

08:09 PM BST

20mins: Arsenal 1 Bolton 0

Calafiori has continued where he left off at the Etihad on Sunday. The Italian defender looks so comfortable and silky on the ball.

He looks like an excellent buy for Arteta.

08:03 PM BST

‘Some lovely early touches by Nwaneri’

Arsenal were perhaps fortunate to have not conceded a penalty, when Jesus challenged Sheehan, but they have their lead. A fine finish by Rice after Arfield comically missed his kick.

We’ve seen some lovely early touches by Nwaneri here, playing in the Odegaard role. Can he do enough to earn a starting place in the Premier League team?

08:02 PM BST

15mins: Arsenal 1 Bolton 0 - GOAL

Nichols crosses to the edge of the box, Bolton fails to clear it and the ball falls to Rice, who curls a lovely shot into the bottom corner.

08:00 PM BST

13mins: Arsenal 0 Bolton 0

Sheehan wants a penalty after going down in the box. The ref says no but the replays show the Bolton midfielder getting across Jesus then going down.

Let’s just say we’ve seen them given.

07:56 PM BST

9mins: Arsenal 0 Bolton 0

Sterling has made a lively start on the left wing for Arsenal. He will want to make an impression following his loan move from Chelsea.

07:53 PM BST

‘Arsenal is about giving young players the opportunity’

Arsenal academy manager Per Mertesacker: “Arsenal is about giving young players the opportunity. We are now in a situation where in the academy we are obviously focused on holistic development, they are not just playing football, they are doing so much more. I think Jack Porter for example should have been doing his education today, so he needs to catch up on that! We are trying to build up the best people, because that’s the only way you’re going to be the best player.”

07:51 PM BST

5mins: Arsenal 0 Bolton 0

Calafiori gives the ball away deep in his half, McAtee heads towards the goal and hits a nice backheel to Arfield on the six-yard box and the midfielder shoots over.

Big chance for the League One side.

07:49 PM BST

3mins: Arsenal 0 Bolton 0

The home team are dominating possession early on here as the away side sit deep and in numbers. If Arsenal keep the ball this much, Porter won’t have much to do.

07:45 PM BST

KICK OFF: Arsenal 0 Bolton 0

Referee Josh Smith blows the whistle and Bolton get the match started.

07:44 PM BST

‘A huge test for Porter’

In usual circumstances, all the pre-match talk here at the Emirates Stadium would be about young stars Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly, who are two of the top talents in the country.

But the inclusion of a 16-year-old goalkeeper in Arsenal’s starting lineup is so extraordinary that it has dominated everything else. Playing a 16-year-old footballer in any competitive match is a bold move, and a huge test for the player. But it feels even more extreme when it’s a goalkeeper. This is the most unforgiving position in football.

Will Bolton shoot at every opportunity? You would assume so. I would expect every corner to be swung into the six-yard box, too.

07:33 PM BST

A stat to make you feel old

Porter, Nwaneri, Nichols and Lewis-Skelly become the first players to play in a competitive game at the Emirates Stadium, who were born after the stadium opened in July 2006.

07:24 PM BST

Odegaard provides injury update

07:13 PM BST

Team news explained

Arsenal

With David Raya injured, Jack Porter starts in goal. In front of him in defence are two other academy mates in right-back Josh Nichols and left-back Myles Lewis-Skelly. Ethan Nwaneri also makes his full debut in midfield.

There is a sprinkling of experience with Raheem Sterling, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and Jorginho all involved. And the bench features William Saliba, Gabriel, Thomas Partey, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli.

Bolton

Bolton boss Ian Evatt makes seven changes to the side that beat Reading 5-2 at the weekend. Josh Dacres-Cogley, Ricardo Santos, Eoin Toal and Josh Sheehan are the only players to retain their places.

Summer signings John McAtee, Scott Arfield and Chris Forino all start.

07:03 PM BST

Bolton starting XI

06:55 PM BST

A big night for Arsenal’s talented teens

06:49 PM BST

Porter, 16, to become Arsenal’s youngest player to start a match

Sixteen-year-old goalkeeper Jack Porter is set to become the youngest player to start a match for Arsenal after he was selected to play against Bolton Wanderers in Wednesday’s League Cup match.

Porter has come into the side because of an injury to first-choice goalkeeper David Raya, who required medical treatment during Arsenal’s dramatic 2-2 draw against Manchester City on Sunday.

Arsenal’s usual back-up to Raya is Brazilian goalkeeper Neto, who signed on a season-long loan in August, but the 35-year-old is cup-tied after playing in the competition for Bournemouth before moving to north London.

Click here for more on Arsenal’s teen shot-stopper.

06:40 PM BST

Arsenal team news

06:34 PM BST

Arsenal vs Bolton

Hello and welcome to coverage from the Emirates as Arsenal host Bolton in the League Cup third round.

We expect Mikel Arteta to select a much-changed team from the XI that were held to a 2-2 draw by Manchester City on Sunday.

He said: “We want to win the game. We have to start with the first game. We have to understand what is the best team, the strongest team that we can put out to perform in the way that we need to to be better than Bolton and beat them.

“In terms of trophies, it’s a success only if you win it. How you measure success or associate that word, we can have a much deeper conversation. But we are here to win, we are here to win the big competitions and the ones people consider not that big. That’s our duty.”

Bolton are 19th in League One and won 5-2 against Reading on Saturday. Manager Ian Evatt says there is no pressure on his players and told them to embrace the occasion.

Evatt: “It’s something we can all enjoy off the back of a good performance on Saturday. We can go there with the pressure off and just know this is as tough as it gets and go there humble enough to know that there is zero expectation and no-one thinks we’ve got a cat in hell’s chance.

“But what we can do is go and learn about what it takes to be either a manager or a player at that level. We will go there and give it our best shot and see where that takes us. We are going to do our best to be competitive and hopefully we can make it an enjoyable experience, not just for us but for our supporters who are going down in their numbers again.”