Roberto De Zerbi was a happy man as Arsenal loanee Ethan Nwaneri scored on his loan debut at Marseille.
The Olympians faced second-place Lens at the Stade Velodrome on Saturday night, and it was expected to be a very difficult game.
However, Marseille opened the scoring through Amine Gouiri after just three minutes, and Nwaneri doubled that lead 10 minutes later.
De Zerbi couldn’t contain his emotions after the Arsenal academy graduate’s debut strike.
Give us your three-word verdict on Ethan Nwaneri’s performance on his Marseille debut!
What Roberto De Zerbi did right after Ethan Nwaneri scored for Marseille
De Zerbi is a manager who wears his heart on his sleeve.
The Italian was the exact same when he was at the helm of Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League, and he was loved for that.
During the game between Marseille and Lens, De Zerbi was as animated as ever on the touchline and celebrated after Gouiri’s opener.
However, when Ethan Nwaneri scored, he went up a level.
Footage showed De Zerbi running onto the playing area in joy. Nobody could stop him, and he continued his celebrations after getting back on the touchline as well.
Arsenal fans must have loved seeing that, and it shows how Nwaneri has already made a positive impact on his new manager.
Hopefully, that results in more game time in the coming weeks and months.
Ethan Nwaneri’s stats on his Marseille debut are so impressive
Nwaneri was thrown into the starting lineup after being involved in just one training session at Marseille.
The pressure that home fans at the Stade Velodrome put on players can be very daunting, and not many teenagers can look good on their debut.
However, as the French media claimed, Nwaneri felt no pressure, and it almost seemed like he was energised by the atmosphere.
How many goals and assists do you think Ethan Nwaneri will end the season with under Roberto De Zerbi at Marseille?
Drop your predictions below👀
In his 58 minutes on the pitch, the Arsenal youngster had 41 touches of the ball and completed 25 of his 28 attempted passes. He also registered a 100 per cent dribble success rate, which is very impressive.
Off the ball, Nwaneri made two ball recoveries and also won four of his seven attempted duels. That is not a bad return at all on his debut. (Sofascore)
Marseille take on Club Brugge next in their final Champions League game. It remains to be seen if Nwaneri will start again.
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