Arsenal loanee Ethan Nwaneri faces a battle for game time at Marseille as he competes directly with star forward Mason Greenwood. The 18-year-old made an impressive start after joining in January, scoring on his debut against Lens, but has since found himself on the bench under new manager Habib Beye.
Nwaneri started four consecutive matches under former boss Roberto De Zerbi but was twice substituted at half-time. Following De Zerbi’s departure after a 5-0 loss to PSG, the teenager remained an unused substitute in the next game under caretaker Jacques Abardonado and played only 20 minutes for Beye in a defeat to Brest.
Journalist Fabrice Lamperti, who covers Marseille for La Provence, noted that Nwaneri operates in a similar area to Greenwood, who has scored 23 goals this season. “De Zerbi tried to put them together, but this led him to shift Greenwood to the left, which he didn't understand. Now it's up to Beye to make his mark,” Lamperti said.
Beye, who favours a more direct style than his predecessor, deployed Nwaneri as a substitute for striker Amine Gouiri against Brest, moving Greenwood centrally. While the move did not yield a result, it suggests Beye is open to pairing them. Nwaneri will hope to earn more minutes in Sunday’s clash with Lyon as Marseille push for Champions League qualification.
