Ethan Nwaneri sends Arsenal perfectly-timed message after Premier League title race blow

Mikel Arteta could’ve done with someone like Ethan Nwaneri when Arsenal lost to Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday evening

Ethan Nwaneri has shown Mikel Arteta exactly what Arsenal will miss out on in the Premier League title race. The 18-year-old midfielder has hit the ground running in the French top flight, marking his debut for Olympique de Marseille with an excellent goal.

Nwaneri, who only joined on loan last week, fired Roberto De Zerbi’s side to a 3-1 win over Racing Club de Lens on Saturday night, doubling the lead inside the opening quarter of an hour. The England Under-21 international received the ball on the halfway line and drove towards the opposition box.

As Malang Sarr looked to close off a passing lane, Nwaneri cut inside onto his left foot and stroked the ball into the bottom far corner. The Arsenal wonderkid continued to cause problems for the remainder of the match before coming off to a standing ovation on the hour mark.

Nwaneri helped the Ligue 1 outfit bridge the now five-point gap between themselves and Lens in second place. Speaking to reporters after the game, De Zerbi tipped the teenager to become a ‘top player’.

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“We defended well and deserved to win,” said the Italian. “I would have liked to score more but they are a very strong team that deserves its place. If we manage to reproduce this level consistently, we will be a solid team.

“Otherwise, we won’t go anywhere,” added De Zerbi. On the Hale End graduate, he added: “Ethan will become a top player, I’m sure about that. “You can see the quality, the impact… he’s so good, same for [fellow January signing] Quinten Timber.”

The following night, Arsenal failed to capitalise on the opportunity to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League, losing 3-2 to Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners lacked guile in the final third, and they could’ve done with someone like Nwaneri to put Michael Carrick’s side on the back foot.

Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke, whom Arsenal signed for a combined £119.5m in the summer, struggled to impress when they were brought on the second half. Even Martin Odegaard disappointed, leaving Arteta no choice but to take off his captain before the hour mark.

Ironically, this weekend, Nwaneri outperformed each of the three players who were blocking his pathway into the Gunners’ starting lineup. Arsenal still have a four point lead over Manchester City and Aston Villa in the title race, but the decision to overlook one of their brightest young players could prove fatal by May.

football.london understands that the north Londoners were initially reluctant to offload Nwaneri until Marseille entered the race for his signature. The Arsenal prospect had attracted interest from lots of clubs, including Crystal Palace, Fulham, Bournemouth and West Ham, who had a loan proposal politely rejected.

It’s understood that Borussia Dortmund were also keen. But, De Zerbi and Arteta were believed to have spoken directly about Nwaneri and, with several English players already in the Italian’s squad, it was decided that the Ligue 1 outfit were best capable of assisting the youngster’s development.

Despite offloading Nwaneri, it’s understood that he remains incredibly highly rated by the club and there’s still huge faith he will eventually become a regular at the Emirates Stadium.