The French press has responded to Ethan Nwaneri’s most recent display after the Arsenal loanee endured a potentially campaign-defining setback with Marseille. Nwaneri, who signed for the French club in January on a season-long loan, made his seventh appearance for his new employers on Wednesday evening in the Coupe de France against Toulouse.

The 18-year-old midfielder was introduced at half-time at the Stade Velodrome, with the quarter-final tie poised at 1-1. Nwaneri nearly justified Habib Beye’s confidence in him in the 67th minute, when the score was 2-2, rattling the woodwork with a mishit attempt.

The tie ended up going to penalties, where the Hale End academy prospect awaited his turn. The teenager was given the responsibility of taking Marseille’s fifth and decisive penalty to force sudden death.

However, Nwaneri fired his attempt over the crossbar, sending Toulouse into the semi-finals and eliminating Marseille from the competition. The typically composed youngster instantly recognised the significance of his error and was left holding his head in despair.

That didn’t spare him from a harsh assessment in the French press for a player who arguably shouldn’t have been designated the penalty initially, with more experienced figures available.

L’Equipe awarded Nwaneri a 4/10 match rating, describing him as the one who “let qualification slip” because of the missed spot-kick.

The publication highlighted his limited impact in open play but recognised that he improved the team’s performance after coming on. It also declined to hold the teenager accountable for shouldering a burden that “should have fallen to others”.

Eurosport France said that Marseille’s midfield weakened following Himad Abdelli’s replacement by the teenager. It pointed out how Beye’s team “lost some of its solidity in midfield against the more incisive visitors” with the substitution.

Get French Football News identified Nwaneri’s penalty miss as the crucial moment of the match.

Meanwhile, So Foot raised questions about why he was given the immense pressure of taking the fifth and decisive penalty.

Foot Mercato concurred, describing it as a “surprising choice”. The outlet added that Nwaneri’s introduction failed to bring stability to Marseille and permitted Toulouse to dominate the midfield.

Awarding Nwaneri a match rating of 4/10, they wrote: “The substitution tended to unbalance the defensive block and open up space in midfield. The young Englishman struggled to find his footing and often played the ball backwards. He was the one who missed OM’s final penalty, which proved fatal.”

It represents another harsh episode and developmental experience in Nwaneri’s brief yet demanding spell in France. Following a promising beginning in the white and blue of Marseille, where he scored on his debut, Nwaneri’s loan has encountered a challenging period, primarily because of the turbulent circumstances at the club.