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Yosua Arya

VIDEO: Embarrassment for Arsenal loanee Ethan Nwaneri as he woefully skies decisive penalty that knocks Marseille out of cup competition

Ethan Nwaneri endured a nightmare evening at the Stade Velodrome as his decisive penalty miss saw Marseille crash out of the Coupe de France. The 18-year-old, currently on loan from Arsenal, blasted his spot-kick over the bar to hand Toulouse a 4-3 shootout victory in Wednesday night's quarter-final clash.

  • Heartbreak at the Velodrome

    The 18-year-old, who joined the Ligue 1 giants on loan in January, was introduced as a second-half substitute by manager Habib Beye to freshen up the team's attack as they pushed for a winning goal. 

    Despite showing flashes of quality and striking the woodwork in the 67th minute, the night ended in heartbreak for the Hale End academy graduate. The quarter-final clash eventually headed to a shootout after the sides remained inseparable at 2-2 come the full-time whistle.

    Nwaneri was surprisingly entrusted with the fifth and final penalty, a moment that carried immense weight for such a young player. However, the teenager lost his composure, blasting the decisive kick over the bar to confirm a 4-3 defeat for the hosts.

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  • Watch the clip

  • Beye defends Nwaneri penalty decision

    Despite the backlash, Marseille head coach Beye stood by his decision to include Nwaneri in the shootout order. When questioned about the hierarchy after the game, Beye insisted he valued the "personality of a player who decides to go for it" rather than hiding from the moment.

    "That's a story for another time. 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," Beye said after the match.

    "And so, they went for it, and I respect that personality. Then there's the story of the game. Unfortunately for Leo and Ethan, they missed. They're the ones most affected tonight, but that's how it is. It's unfortunately that this technical skill that, at that moment in the game and at that moment in that series, is simply not mastered"

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    Nwaneri's difficult loan spell

    The penalty miss marks the lowest point of what has become a turbulent loan spell for Nwaneri in France. Although he started brilliantly by scoring on his debut against Lens, the departure of manager Roberto De Zerbi has seen the Englishman's game time dwindle significantly under the new regime. With Marseille now out of both domestic cups and European competition, opportunities for Nwaneri to gain senior experience may become scarce.

    However, the 18-year-old will be looking to bounce back and fight for a starting spot as Marseille seek revenge when they return to Ligue 1 against Toulouse on Saturday. Beye's side currently sit fourth in the table with 43 points from 24 matches, two points behind third-placed Lyon.