Matchday eight of the Champions League campaign proved that Jose Mourinho is still able to taunt Arsenal from miles away over in Lisbon.
Mourinho and Arsenal have been enemies for decades now, and still, in 2026, he’s negatively impacting the Gunners.
In the final round of league phase fixtures in the Champions League, the former Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United manager experienced one of the most bizarre highs in his career.
Benfica needed a fourth goal against Real Madrid to make the play-offs, and scored it in the 98th minute thanks to their goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin, who found the back of the net.
A euphoric moment for Mourinho was a punishing one for Arsenal, as loanee Ethan Nwaneri’s Marseille were the ones to suffer as a result of Benfica’s winner.
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Ethan Nwaneri and Marseille are out of the Champions League
Nwaneri wasn’t registered in Marseille’s league-phase squad in the Champions League, so he didn’t feature in the French side’s 3-0 defeat to Club Brugge.
Because of Mourinho, the Arsenal loanee has been denied the chance to gain additional Champions League experience in France, as Benfica’s late goal knocked Marseille out on goal difference.
It was a bitterly disappointing moment for Nwaneri, who will now only fight for domestic silverware for the remainder of his loan.
The denial of Champions League football on loan isn’t only a blow for Nwaneri, but for Marseille, too, who saw last season how impressive the teenager was in the competition.
Nwaneri started twice for Arsenal in the 2024/25 Champions League and scored on both occasions, making it clear that he’s a player who can shine alongside the best.
Nwaneri has unfinished business in the Champions League
Nwaneri is already shining at Marseille, so for French fans, it’s frustrating that they won’t see him show his worth in Europe.
It’s even more annoying for the man himself, however, who will already feel that he’s got unfinished business in the Champions League.
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Nwaneri might’ve scored in both of his starts in last season’s competition, but when it came to the business end of the tournament, he took the backseat.
After scoring in the round of 16 first leg, the 18-year-old played a further one minute in the remainder of Arsenal’s European campaign.
Nwaneri didn’t feature at all against Real Madrid in the quarter-final, and in the semi-final, he played one minute over two legs.
The future is so bright for the teen, so there’s plenty of opportunity to see him thrive in the Champions League to come, just not this season.
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