Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said Ethan Nwaneri must respond to criticism over his commitment at Marseille. Nwaneri joined Olympique Marseille on loan in January after struggling for regular playing time at Arsenal.
The Hale End graduate found the net on his first appearance for the Ligue 1 club but has seen his game time significantly reduced since Habib Beye replaced Roberto De Zerbi as head coach. He has yet to start a match since Beye’s arrival and was an unused substitute in two of Marseille’s last three games.
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Following Marseille’s 1-1 draw with OGC Nice, Beye defended his decision to leave Nwaneri on the bench, claiming the forward needs to ‘give way more in his day-to-day commitment’. In a press conference ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League clash against Fulham, Arteta was asked about Beye’s remarks, to which he said:
“I think that’s the coach’s opinion. He’s with him every single day and that’s it. He’s the one making the decision, he’s the one that sees and understands better what he’s doing. Ethan has to respond to that in the right way. It’s the same place that William Saliba was there, same club. The outcome – let’s see. Maybe it’s the best thing that can happen for Ethan, for his career. Maybe, we don’t know.”
So far, Nwaneri has scored two goals and provided one assist for Marseille in 11 appearances across competitions.
Beye’s ‘commitment’ remarks on Arsenal star Nwaneri
Speaking to the media ahead of Marseille’s league clash with OGC Nice, Beye explained his decision to leave Nwaneri out of his starting XI. The French manager acknowledged the youngster’s quality but made it clear that he prioritises players who show greater desire on the pitch.
“He’s a quality player, but he has to give us way more in his day-to-day commitment,” Beye told L1+. “Other players gave way more.”
He claimed the 19-year-old needs to adapt to the intensity of Ligue 1 and suggested improvement in his offensive and defensive efforts.
“Ethan has great qualities, he’s a great talent who needs to adapt to the intensity of Ligue 1,” Beye added. “We saw that when he came on against Lille, he scored but when we analyse his performance overall there are still aspects of his game that need to be much stronger in terms of counter-pressing, his defensive efforts to win the ball back. He seems like the ideal replacement in Mason [Greenwood]’s absence but we also have the opportunity to change our system and our playmaking, so we have several choices and choice with quality players.”
Nwaneri made history at Arsenal in 2022 after making his debut at just 15 years and 181 days old as a substitute in a Premier League match against Brentford. In the process, he became the club’s youngest-ever player.
Edited by Ezekiel Olamide
