“So good”: Marseille boss raves about Nwaneri after debut goal | OneFootball

Arsenal loanee Ethan Nwaneri made the perfect debut for Olympique de Marseille on Saturday, starting and scoring in a win over high-flying RC Lens.

Photo via Nwaneri on Instagram

Any doubts over Ethan Nwaneri’s ability to get minutes on loan with Olympique de Marseille were immediately curtailed as the Arsenal youngster was thrown straight into the starting lineup against RC Lens on Saturday.

Lens had gone into the weekend in first place in Ligue 1, but Roberto De Zerbi didn’t hesitate to give Nwaneri his full debut at a raucous Stade Velodrome.

Far from wilting under the pressure, Nwaneri had an instant impact. Just 13 minutes into the game, he had his first goal.

Photo via Nwaneri on Instagram

Receiving the ball on the halfway line, Nwaneri charged towards the box before cutting inside a recovering defender and curling an effort from the edge of the ‘D’ into the far corner.

It was a typical Nwaneri finish, and a great time to get it. Marseille ended up winning the match 3-1, dropping Lens down to second and cutting the gap to their opponents to just five points.

Nwaneri played 58 minutes before being substituted, taking one further shot and completing all three of his attempted dribbles. Manager De Zerbi was clearly impressed with what he’d seen.

“Ethan will become a top player, I’m sure about that,” De Zerbi said. “You can see the quality, the impact… he’s so good.”

Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images

Marseille’s next task is to secure progression to the knockout stages of the Champions League in midweek. The French side have already failed to make the top-eight, but they currently sit 19th, with positions nine to 24 getting you into the knockout play-off round.

The table is very tight, with Marseille just one point ahead of the team in 25th. So they need a result away to Club Brugge on Wednesday, and they need a win to guarantee themselves their highest-possible finish and an easier knockout pathway.

Assuming Marseille are involved in the Champions League knockouts, with the team also in the last-16 of the French Cup, there should be plenty of games on the fixture list for the next couple of months.