Arsenal fans have reason to be excited about 15-year-old academy prоspect Chido Obi-Martin as a video emerges of the striker netting an eye-catching ten goals in the Gunners’ 14-3 win over Liverpool Under-16s on Saturday. And boy, do they have a net-bulging sensation on their hands!
The teen sensation, who has already played for Arsenal at Under-21s level despite being just 15 years of age, dropped down an age group with older academy sides not in action over the weekend. And he stole the show – later captioning an image of himself with the match ball: “14:3 W vs Liverpool. Scored 10”.
North London duo Andre Annous and Max Dowman also got in on the act, but their exploits against the Reds was nothing compared to Obi-Martin’s hat-trιck of hat-tricks plus an extra goal. The rising star has signed a scholarship deal at the capital club and will be working tirelessly behind-the-scenes to become their next big thing.
His 10-goal haul would’ve sent shockwaves across the Premier League, while he hopes to attract the attention of Mikel Arteta in the process. However, his undeniable talent may not come as a massive surprise to the Spanish tactician, Obi-Martin has trained with the U18, U19, U21 teams and was even given the opportunity by Mikel Arteta to train with the first team this season.
Obi-Martin has done fantastically well to rise up the age groups – and he’ll have his full focus on becoming the club’s primary goalscorer-in-chief for years to come.
Obi-Martin’s 10-goal haul
Luckily, all ten goals against the Liverpool youngsters have been caught on film and a compilation has emerged on X (formerly Twitter) for armchair watchers to feаst their eyes on and for those associated with the Gunners to look positively into the future of your club.
Quite impressively, his goals are not carbon copies of one another, with his long list of tricks on show. Right foot, header, penalty – a net-busting one at that – were all part of his 10-goal selection – proving he is somewhat of a jack of all trades.
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At least three of them saw the striker maraud down the left, open his body up and direct it past the flailing Liverpool shot stopper. The penalty – as mentioned – was one that struck the back of the net with purpose and a couple of finishes set up by his dance-like feet and willingness to drive with the ball. Scary hours.
His tenacity, rapid speed and tireless work ethic were all on show as he often ran defenders ragged and gave them not a moment to think before he attempted to regain possession. A physical figure, too, Obi-Martin seems built for the trials and tribulations of life in the Premier League, known for its fast-paced nature and physicality – both of which the 15-year-old has in abundance.
Take it all in—a player scoring ten goals in a single football game is not something that happens very often. Before you know it, he’ll be wearing an Arsenal jersey and grabbing a pinpoint pass from Gabriel Martinelli, his teammate on the left, or Bukayo Saka. All he needs is patience, belief, and the right environment to develop into one of the best strikers in the Premier League.
Arsenal prоspect continues to impress
Obi-Martin’s size is particularly apparent and a physical aspect that sets him above the rest, with former Arsenal striker Ian Wright, speaking on his podcast ‘Wrighty’s House’ (via The Mirror), saying:
“It’s Chido Obi-Martin, he’s 15, honestly, he’s like 6 foot 2, he looks really quick. The thing which I saw with him and what I noticed yesterday was, it was his first game at that level, and you could see it.
“What I found with that game is that we couldn’t get ourselves into that final third and then hold and link the play and bring other people into the game. We couldn’t do it, simply because our centre-forward was thrown in, and I think for the right reasons, he’ll learn a lot from that.”
The 2007-born talisman featured twice in Premier League 2 during 2022/23 but has a more regular option this term. Grabbing his first trio of strikes at Under-18 level this season against Southampton while also playing in Arsenal’s double-header against Sevilla in the UEFA Youth League – it’s been a season to cherish and remember already.
Wedged in-between the two European fixtures, the 15-year-old earned a well-deserved shot at plying his trade in the Under-21s set-up and enjoyed a 20-minute cameo in a victory over Brighton & Hove Albion. Next on the agenda for Obi-Martin? Securing his senior bow under Arteta. After fellow academy player Ethan Nwaneri made waves in the English top division for becoming its youngest-ever player as he came off the bench at Brentford last season – at 15 years, five months and 28 days – Obi-Martin could certainly be next in line.