Despite Ethan Nwaneri coming off the bench to assist Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s winner, French media were still critical of the Arsenal loanee’s performance.
Marseille produced a shock late win over Lyon, with Nwaneri assisting Aubameyang during stoppage time in Southern France.
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The 18-year-old has had a tricky start to life in Ligue 1 following Roberto De Zerbi’s sacking and the winger losing his place in the team.
The Gunners sent Nwaneri to Marseille to experience playing regular football for a major European club; however, he now finds himself starting on the bench.
French media question Ethan Nwaneri’s latest Marseille performance
Marseille-based publication Le Phoceen were less than impressed by Ethan Nwaneri’s performance against Lyon.
The teenager played 36 minutes off the bench at the Stade Velodrome and made a big impact in stoppage time with an assist for the winning goal.
Marseille found themselves behind after just three minutes before Igor Paixao equalised just before the hour mark.
Lyon later restored their lead in the 76th minute, although Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s stoppage-time brace turned the game on its head, and the hosts claimed a crucial three points.
Despite having a big impact, Le Phoceen claim their 5.5/10 would have been lower had the winger not assisted for Auba.
Speaking about the Arsenal loanee, the French outlet wrote: “A difficult half-hour, marked by technical errors and a lack of impact on the game.
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“But the big moments changed everything: his perfect cross in stoppage time secured the victory for OM. A decisive pass that weighed heavily, very heavily, on the outcome of the match.
“Without this contribution, his rating would have been much harsher. With it, he salvaged his performance and became decisive.”
The teenager is quickly learning the pressures of playing for a major club, and hopefully, it should be a good chance for the youngster to gain experience.
Nwaneri is highly rated at Arsenal, and there is hope he can soon start to get more chances for the French club.
During training, Nwaneri has been impressing his teammates, and now he needs to keep making decisive moments in matches.
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