Arsenal loanee helps England U21s seal Euro 2027 qualification

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Ethan Nwaneri was on the pitch for 70 minutes as England's Under-21s booked their place at the 2027 European Championship with a goalless draw against Slovakia at the bet365 Stadium in Stoke.

Lee Carsley's side needed only a point to confirm qualification for next summer's tournament in Albania and Serbia, and the 0-0 result did the job with a game still to spare.

The Young Lions have now won seven and drawn two of their nine qualifying fixtures, a record that leaves them unbeaten heading into their final match.

Nwaneri at the heart of it

The Arsenal midfielder started the game and was replaced by Josh King after 70 minutes. He came close to scoring himself and was central to England's efforts to break Slovakia down, with Max Alleyne rattling the post from a low Nwaneri corner.

Bulinews described Nwaneri as one of England's key players on the night as the hosts pressed for a winner against a stubborn Slovakia side.

It continues a strong campaign at this level for the 19-year-old, who scored twice in England's 4-1 win over Moldova earlier in qualifying.

His club colleague Jobe Bellingham was also part of the squad but returned to Borussia Dortmund early following his man-of-the-match showing against Kazakhstan.

The Dortmund move

Arsenal sanctioned Nwaneri's loan switch to Dortmund in the summer, a decision taken with regular senior minutes in mind after the midfielder had spent the previous campaigns breaking into Mikel Arteta's rotation at the Emirates.

Bundesliga football has kept him sharp and kept him in Carsley's plans, and the England manager has continued to lean on him throughout this qualifying campaign.

For Arsenal supporters, the loan was always framed as a development year rather than a step away from the club. The academy graduate's progress in Germany will be tracked closely in north London, with his long-term future still at the Emirates.

England go into the finals as the defending champions, having won both the 2023 and 2025 editions of the tournament. Should they retain the trophy in Albania and Serbia, it would be a third consecutive title for the Young Lions.

Nwaneri will be hoping to stay fit and earn his place in that squad, where he would be expected to play a significant role in the attacking third.

One more to come

England wrap up their qualifying campaign against the Republic of Ireland in Cork on Tuesday, where avoiding defeat would see them finish the group unbeaten.

Whether Nwaneri features again before returning to Dortmund remains to be seen, but his standing in the squad looks secure ahead of next summer's finals.