Arsenal loanee Ethan Nwaneri nets on Marseille debut

Handed a debut by Roberto De Zerbi just a day after completing his switch, the 18-year-old midfielder needed only 13 minutes to announce himself at a raucous Stade Velodrome. With Marseille already ahead, Nwaneri surged forward from midfield, slipped past two defenders and curled a precise left-footed shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the area to double the lead.

Amine Gouiri had given the hosts an early advantage and later struck again in the 75th minute to put the result beyond doubt, before teenage substitute Rayan Fofana scored a late consolation for Lens. Nwaneri's evening ended after 58 minutes when he was replaced by Mason Greenwood, who had been rested from the start with an eye on upcoming European commitments.

The loan move was sealed in search of regular minutes after Nwaneri found opportunities limited at Arsenal this season despite signing a new contract until 2030. He remains the youngest-ever Premier League player, having debuted at 15, and now hopes to build momentum in Ligue 1 through to the end of the campaign.

The victory lifts Marseille to third, closing the gap on second-placed Lens and keeping pace behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain. Gouiri summed up the mood afterwards, saying the new arrivals had "settled in well" as Marseille look to push back up the table.