Mikel Arteta’s son, Gabriel makes Arsenal debut

Gabriel Arteta Bernal, the son of Mikel Arteta, made his first competitive appearance for Arsenal U-18 on Wednesday. The team won 3–0 against Reading U-18 at Bearwood Park.

Gabriel, who is 16 years old, came on as a substitute in the 70th minute. The goals were scored by Emerson Nwaneri, younger brother of Ethan Nwaneri, and two goals from Alex Marciniak.

Before this match, Gabriel had been on the bench for an under-18 friendly game against Ipswich Town in February. He also played his first competitive match for the under-17 team in October during a Premier League Cup game against Watford.

Unlike his father, who played as a central midfielder for clubs like Paris Saint-Germain, Everton, and Arsenal, Gabriel plays as a winger.

Meanwhile, Dean Barker, who used to work with Queens Park Rangers as head of emerging talent, has joined Arsenal’s academy recruitment team.

He previously worked as a PE teacher at the school that produced Ethan Nwaneri, who is currently on loan at Marseille.