When Reiss Nelson replaced the injured Bukayo Saka early on Sunday afternoon, it’s fair to say few would have envisioned two goals and an assist.
Nelson’s breakthrough Premier League performance caught many off guard - but would have come as no great surprise to those who worked with him as a youngster. After all, it has been almost a decade since he was earmarked as Arsenal ’s “special one”.
That is according to former Arsenal academy chief Andries Jonker, who explained to the Mirror back in 2020 that Nelson was predicted for the very top from the moment he saw him aged just 14. Even at then, he stood out.
