French media's reaction to Marseille collapse speaks volumes as Ethan Nwaneri is dropped

Ethan Nwaneri suffered the disappointment of being an unused substitute for Marseille as the uncertainty surrounding the French giants was addressed by local media

The French press has put Marseille’s turbulent situation under the microscope after their disappointing 2-2 draw at home against Strasbourg, which Arsenal loanee Ethan Nwaneri did not play a part in.

The Marseille players were greeted in Saturday’s Ligue 1 fixture with empty stands, anti-management banners and boos ringing out from their own fans at the Stade Velodrome prior to kick-off. Led by new interim manager Jacques Abardonado, they looked to be on the cusp of an important win after Mason Greenwood and Amine Gouiri scored to make it 2-0 to the home side.

But their goals were cancelled out late in the second half as Strasbourg’s 97th minute penalty saw two crucial points dropped by Marseille. In what would surely have frustrated the Arsenal youngster, Nwaneri spent the entire 90 minutes on the bench for the first time since he joined the Ligue 1 side on loan last month.

After a bright start in the white and blue of Marseille, where he scored on his debut, Nwaneri’s loan appears to have taken a difficult turn, largely due to the chaotic situation at the club.

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Eurosport France said after the Strasbourg draw that Marseille was going through an "institutional crisis". The publication noted how Abardonado’s tactics had been to try to counter but the team backed off too much in the latter stages, paying the price by conceding their seventh stoppage time goal of the season.

L’Equipe described the result as "a mixture of sadness and clarity", saying Marseille failed to address existing defensive flaws. The outlet also raised question marks about the team’s mental fortitude, while accusing the manager of failing to react to Strasbourg’s quicker tempo in the second half.

It was perhaps a concerning sign for Nwaneri of what is to come under Abardonado, who described his group of players as "wounded" when he took over and said he wanted to "win the fans back" with a big performance.

It marked his first match in charge, having stepped in for Roberto De Zerbi, who left by mutual agreement last week. The writing appeared on the wall for De Zerbi at Marseille after his side were eliminated in the Champions League’s league phase. A 5-0 thrashing at the hands of rivals PSG marked his last game, with the defeat leaving Marseille 12 points adrift of the Ligue 1 leaders.

De Zerbi had taken charge of Marseille in the summer of 2024 after leaving Brighton in equally abrupt fashion. He led them to second place in Ligue 1 last season and was a big reason why Mikel Arteta decided to send Nwaneri out on loan to Marseille.

The Italian’s style of play and history of improving youngsters seemed a perfect fit for Nwaneri, who required regular game time crucial for his development that Arsenal could not give him for much of this season. De Zerbi had repeatedly called for a No.10 to be brought in and Nwaneri seemed just the man to inject some creativity into the side.

However, with the Italian gone, it remains to be seen whether the 18-year-old will get the chance to leave his mark in France under the new manager. Adding another element of frustration to his loan move is the fact three players who were ahead of him in the pecking order in north London - Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz and Mikel Merino - have been struck by injury since his departure, leading to debate among fans over whether it was the right call to let the attacking-midfielder leave in January.

Yet, Arteta insisted it was the right decision to send the teenager to France, in spite of De Zerbi’s unexpected exit.

The Spaniard said: "After making the decision, who could have predicted that Mikel was going to be out for five months and Kai? It’s unfortunate, in the end we have to make the decisions in the moment, understanding the context there.

"The best decision for the club, for Ethan, was for him to go and experience a different environment, have minutes played, and get ready to come back to us."

Asked what impact De Zerbi’s exit from the Stade Velodrome could have, Arteta added: "I cannot control that, again it’s a decision, and that’s part of playing on loan, and that’s part of a journey of a football player.

"So you’re going to have to work with different coaches, and that can happen any moment, you cannot control that, you cannot avoid that. For sure one of the reasons [Nwaneri was sent to Marseille] was Roberto, but as well it was Marseille, and what Marseille as a club and as an environment brings to Ethan, and I think that’s going to be still very positive."

Nwaneri has made 51 senior appearances for Arsenal in all since his breakthrough in the 2023/24 campaign. In the time since, he has scored on ten occasions for the Gunners.

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