Arsenal loan star Ethan Nwaneri was criticised for a ‘horrific’ tackle after escaping a red card in Marseille’s cup victory over Rennes.
Nwaneri was keen to impress boss Roberto De Zerbi following his temporary switch to the French side during the January window.
He scored on his debut against Lens, but struggled in his second appearance against Paris FC.
Nwaneri was handed a start in their 3-0 victory, but was hooked off at half-time with fears he was on course for a red card after a controversial 45 minutes.
Ethan Nwaneri Escapes A Red
The moment in question arrived in the 22nd minute when the 18-year-old launched into a tackle on opponent Glen Kamara, who is a former Arsenal academy graduate.
Nwaneri misses the ball, and replays clearly showed his studs caught the angle of Kamara, who writhed on the floor in pain.
No VAR was used in the Coupe De France Round of 16, and the referee instead handed him a fortunate escape with a yellow card.
Kamara lasted another eight minutes before deciding he couldn’t continue.
Moments later he committed another foul, which convinced De Zerbi to make the change at halftime.
Rennes manager Habib Beye was furious at the referee’s decision and reportedly said to his opposing manager: “If it’s on the other side, it’s a red card.”
After the game, Beye spoke to the press, in which he revealed the referee had acknowledged his error.
He added: “The referee also acknowledged that there was a red card for the tackle on Kamara in the first half.”
32' : Touché il y a quelques instants par un très gros tacle marseillais, sanctionné d'un seul carton jaune, Glen Kamara est contraint de sortir du terrain. Mahamadou Nagida entre en jeu.#OMSRFC 1-0 pic.twitter.com/vnp1PqYIp5
— Stade Rennais F.C. (@staderennais) February 3, 2026
French Media Criticise Nwaneri
In the aftermath of the contest, Nwaneri’s challenge didn’t escape criticism from the French media.
EuroSport France described the tackle as “horrific” while Provence wrote: “He completely lost it when he took out Kamara with a very heavy tackle on the ankle that deserved a red card. He only received a yellow card but was logically replaced at half-time.”
Rennes’ official Twitter account also shared an image of the tackle when Kamara was substituted alongside the caption: “Hit a few moments ago by a very heavy Marseille tackle, punished with just a yellow card, Glen Kamara is forced to leave the pitch.”
L’Equipe also branded the tackle as ‘reckless’ in their report.
Arsenal will be keeping a close eye on the winger’s progress while he is in France, as he gains crucial minutes in his development.
Meanwhile, former Gunners midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could finally end his spell in the shadows with Celtic revealing their intentions to sign him on a free transfer.
