Raheem Sterling scored for Arsenal for the first time after joining the North London side on loan from Chelsea this summer.
The forward was in the right place at the right time to tap home a rebound after the Bolton keeper could not keep out a cross from Bukayo Saka. Arsenal ran out 5-1 winners over the League One side on Wednesday night. Ethan Nwaneri scored a brace, while Kai Havertz and Declan Rice rounded out the list of scorers.
Raheem Sterling much better at Arsenal – Arteta
Mikel Arteta praised Sterling on his first goal for the club. The Spaniard added that the forward would need more minutes to improve his match fitness:
“Yeah, it’s very good. I think he’s getting better and better. I think physically you can tell that he’s making steps. The moment the game opened up a little bit, you know, what he can do, how he can deliver. He was involved in a few goals, so, very positive night for him.”
Arteta and Sterling worked together at Manchester City, where the England international played some of the best football of his career. It is the reason why the Spaniard wanted the forward at the club this summer when the opportunity came:
“It’s very simple. I spoke to Edu and he told me about the possibility, that it was real and that it could happen,”
“He asked me what my thoughts were and obviously I was already extremely positive, but I had a question and I thought it would be resolved in the first 15 to 20 seconds of my conversation on the phone with Raheem.”
Arteta revealed that he had a lengthy conversation with the player before he decided to join on loan from Chelsea:
“It got resolved a little earlier than that because I took the phone and he said he was dreaming of this call. That was it.
“We discussed a few other things but when I see a player that is genuinely willing to come to the club, prove a point and be part of something that he has seen from the outside that is motivating and inspiring him, I said he needs to be here.”
Arsenal academy players Ethan Nwaneri, Jack Porter, Josh Nichols and Myles Lewis-Skelly were also involved in Wednesday’s game. Porter started his first game for the club after David Raya picked up a minor injury during the Manchester City game,
Former Premier League duo Michael Brown and Matthew Upson commended Mikel Arteta for trusting teenagers in an important cup tie.