Robert De Zerbi hails Ethan Nwaneri as Arsenal loanee scores on Marseille debut: 'So good'

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·25 Januari 2026

Robert De Zerbi hails Ethan Nwaneri as Arsenal loanee scores on Marseille debut: 'So good'

Gunner opened Ligue 1 account 13 minutes into debut

Roberto de Zerbi spared no blushes for new signing Ethan Nwaneri after the youngster scored on his Marseille debut on Saturday.

The 18-year-old scored for the French club after just 13 minutes on the pitch as Marseille welcomed Lens to the Stade Velodrome.

Nwaneri moved to Marseille in pursuit of more game time after making only 12 appearances for Arsenal this season, and has seemingly fit right in, playing 58 minutes on his debut.

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De Zerbi said: “Ethan Nwaneri will become a top player, I’m sure about that.”

The on-loan Gunner secured his new side’s second goal of the match with Algerian national Amine Ferid scoring on either side, giving Marseille a 3-1 victory in Ligue 1, helping to bridge the now five-point gap between the second-placed Lens and Marseille in third.

The impressive Ligue 1 victory came after Marseille suffered a 3-0 defeat to Liverpool on Wednesday in the Champions League.

With Nwaneri joining the French side in a bid to increase his game time, De Zerbi spoke about the 18-year-old’s chances of selection in the future.

Off the mark: Ethan Nwaneri

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He said: “In my team, there is no hierarchy. The only one who decides is me. Having to play every three days forces me to rotate.

“You can see the quality, the impact. He’s so good, same for Timber.”

He added: “Timber and Nwaneri are so strong that they don’t need training. We’ll have to recharge our batteries on Wednesday because it will be a historic match for Marseille.”

While the Gunners go from success to success in their Champions League campaign following their victory over Inter Milan on Tuesday, Marseille travel to Belgium to face Club Brugge as they bid to seal a place in the play-offs.