Arsene Wenger says Reiss Nelson will prove he has ‘more in the locker’ after a solid, if unspectacular, first Premier League start for Arsenal.

The England youth international played 64 minutes on the right side of midfield as the Gunners ran out 3-2 winners against Southampton to add to his 14 previous appearances this season.

While tidy in possession, Wenger noted that the 18-year-old wasn’t quite the dynamic, creative force that Arsenal fans have seen so often at under-23 level.

“I felt that he has shown that technically he has the level,” Wenger told his post-game press conference.

“He worked very hard for the team. On the other side, we know people who watch the youth team a lot know that Reiss Nelson has a lot more in the locker to go one against one and take people on. On that front, he was a bit not completely himself today. But overall it’s positive.

“It’s natural [to be inhibited], yes. Suddenly you have an opponent who is more aggressive, quicker and you want to pass him.

“Believe me he [can] because he does that against players in training. It’s the first opportunity for him and I think he hasn’t missed it.”

After the game, Hector Bellerin was quick to congratulate Nelson on his first start. A nice sign of the camaraderie in the camp.

Congrats to my boy @ReissNelson9 on your @premierleague start. Just the begining ?? pic.twitter.com/qQzszQpTzc — Héctor Bellerín (@HectorBellerin) April 8, 2018

With Henrikh Mkhitaryan sidelined by medial knee ligament damage and Arsene Wenger expected to rotate his other first team regulars, Nelson should get further Premier League game time as the season reaches its conclusion.