Mikel Arteta's eldest son made his competitive debut for Arsenal's under-18s on Wednesday, coming off the bench in the 70th minute during a 3-0 win over Reading at Bearwood Park. Gabriel Arteta Bernal, 16, entered with the Gunners already cruising thanks to goals from Emerson Nwaneri and a brace from Alex Marciniak. The teenager had previously been named on the bench for an 18s friendly against Ipswich Town in February.

Unlike his father—who operated as a central midfielder for Paris Saint-Germain, Everton, and Arsenal—Gabriel is being developed as a winger. His debut comes six months after making his competitive debut for the U17s in their Premier League Cup meeting with Watford in October. The progression represents a steady climb through Arsenal's academy ranks for the manager's son.

In a separate development, QPR's head of emerging talent Dean Barker has joined Arsenal's academy recruitment team. Barker previously worked as a PE teacher at the same school that produced Ethan Nwaneri, who is currently on loan at Marseille after struggling for minutes amid Arsenal's Premier League title charge.