18-year-old Arsenal loanee Ethan Nwaneri is under fire from French media after his missed penalty led to Marseille’s elimination from the Coupe de France quarter-finals.
Arsenal loanee Ethan Nwaneri faces intense scrutiny after missing the decisive penalty in Marseille’s Coupe de France shootout loss to Toulouse.
Entering as a half-time substitute, the 18-year-old hit the woodwork in regulation but fired his spot-kick over the bar.
French outlets were critical, with L’Equipe awarding him a 4/10 and branding him the individual who “let qualification slip” through his fingers.
Questions have emerged regarding why the teenager shouldered such immense pressure. So Foot questioned why he took the final penalty, while Foot Mercato noted the substitution “unbalanced the defensive block.”
Despite his effort, media consensus suggests the responsibility “should have fallen to others.” This setback marks a difficult turn for Nwaneri’s loan spell following the recent departure of manager Roberto De Zerbi.