Ethan Nwaneri's Marseille nightmare takes new twist as supporters make feelings clear

Arsenal starlet Ethan Nwaneri has seen his loan move to Marseille hit a snag in recent games and he was benched once again on Saturday

Ethan Nwaneri's stint in Marseille has reached a new nadir after he was excluded from their 1-0 win over Toulouse on Saturday. This came just days after the on-loan Arsenal star's penalty miss saw them exit the French Cup and fans have made their true feelings known on the team's recent performances.

The 18-year-old became the Gunners' youngest-ever player when he made his debut against Brentford in 2022 and at such a tender age, he swiftly became a part of Mikel Arteta's first team. But in a bid to grant him more senior football, he was shipped out on loan to France in January.

Arteta admitted that a major factor in selecting Marseille as Nwaneri's destination was manager Roberto De Zerbi, who had experience nurturing budding Premier League talent. But he left Marseille last month after a 5-0 defeat to PSG and former Rennes boss Habib Beye has stepped in.

This change has already seemed like a negative one for Nwaneri with the youngster falling out of favour under the new manager, with his performances having also taken a dip. Last time out he missed the decisive spot-kick that saw Toulouse triumph over Marseille in the French Cup and as they got their revenge in Ligue 1 on Saturday, Nwaneri played no part.

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On Wednesday, Nwaneri came off the bench just after half-time in what would end as a 2-2 draw between Marseille and Toulouse in the French Cup quarter-finals.

During the subsequent penalty shootout, Nwaneri was tasked with taking the final spot-kick of the regulation five and, needing to score to keep his side in the competition, skied his effort over the bar.

Initially, manager Beye defended his player, saying: "I'm not going to have a big discussion about it because what I like is the personality of a player who decides to go for it.

"When we discussed it, we were very, very clear about the shooting order. And so, they went for it, and I respect that personality. Then there's the story of the game. Unfortunately for Leo [Balerdi] and Ethan, they missed."

But, as Marseille were handed the perfect chance to exact revenge on Saturday when they travelled to Toulouse in the league, Nwaneri was once again benched. Unlike on Wednesday, he wasn't even given a minute of playing time.

Tensions were high before the match with Marseille supporters unfurling a banner outside their section that read: "You're s**t." The fact that the Arsenal loanee can't get a starting role in a team whose own fans have turned on them says a great deal, especially in the wake of their recent cup exit.

A goal from Mason Greenwood ensured the French side bounced back to winning ways by a 1-0 scoreline. But Nwaneri's nightmare loan move continues to go from bad to worse.

The teenager started every Ligue 1 game he could under De Zerbi. Under Beye, he has yet to even crack the starting XI despite relatively poor showings from others.