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Lens 2-1 Arsenal: Elye Wahi scores and assists as Lens come from behind to beat Gunners

Elye Wahi celebrates scoring for Lens against Arsenal
Elye Wahi has scored and assisted in a game for Lens for the first time since August 2022 against Brest.

Elye Wahi starred as French side Lens came from behind to shock Arsenal in the Champions League.

Wahi’s first-time finish into the bottom left corner from a Przemyslaw Frankowski cross in the 69th minute saw the home side seal a notable success.

The below-par Gunners rode some early pressure from Lens before Gabriel Jesus claimed a 14th-minute opener from a through-ball from Bukayo Saka, who then went off with a heel injury.

Lens levelled 11 minutes later as Adrien Thomasson curled a superb finish into the far corner.

As Arsenal suffered their first loss of the season on a difficult night, they suffered another blow before Sunday’s crunch Premier League meeting with Manchester City as England forward Saka went off after just 33 minutes.

But Lens were worthy of a win that took them to the top of Group B on four points, with Mikel Arteta’s side second on three.

The hosts threatened from the start with Kevin Danso shooting just wide and Thomasson’s header going close before the offside flag was raised.

Jesus’ finish into the bottom left corner did not dampen the spirits of the home crowd who were experiencing their first Champions League game at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis since 2002. The Brazilian striker has now been involved in 16 goals in his last 16 Champions League starts, scoring 13 and assisting three.

But Lens hit back following a poor clearance from Arsenal keeper David Raya out to the left. Wahi, a summer signing from Montpellier, provided the assist, expertly controlling a long ball before laying off the pass for Thomasson to finish.

The 20-year-old then had the final say when he swept home the winner. In doing so, he became the youngest Frenchman to score and assist in a Champions League match since a 19-year-old Kylian Mbappe did so for Paris St-Germain in December 2018.

Player of the match

SaïdWesley Saïd

Lens

  1. Squad number22Player nameSaïd

  2. Squad number30Player nameSamba

  3. Squad number9Player nameWahi

  4. Squad number11Player nameFulgini

  5. Squad number18Player nameDiouf

  6. Squad number2Player nameAguilar

  7. Squad number28Player nameThomasson

  8. Squad number29Player nameFrankowski

  9. Squad number14Player nameMedina

  10. Squad number4Player nameDanso

  11. Squad number26Player nameMendy

  12. Squad number7Player nameSotoca

  13. Squad number6Player nameAbdul Samed

  14. Squad number3Player nameMachado

  15. Squad number24Player nameGradit

Line-ups

Lens

Formation 3-4-2-1

  • 30Samba
  • 24Gradit
  • 4Danso
  • 14Medina
  • 29Frankowski
  • 26MendySubstituted forDioufat 73′minutes
  • 6Abdul SamedBooked at 90mins
  • 3MachadoSubstituted forAguilarat 81′minutes
  • 7Sotoca
  • 28ThomassonSubstituted forFulginiat 73′minutes
  • 9WahiSubstituted forSaïdat 73′minutes

Substitutes

  • 2Aguilar
  • 11Fulgini
  • 16Leca
  • 18Diouf
  • 20Maouassa
  • 22Saïd
  • 23El Aynaoui
  • 25Khusanov
  • 27Guilavogui
  • 40Pandor

Arsenal

Formation 4-3-3

  • 22Raya
  • 18Tomiyasu
  • 2Saliba
  • 6Gabriel
  • 35ZinchenkoSubstituted forWhiteat 71′minutes
  • 8ØdegaardSubstituted forNketiahat 80′minutes
  • 41Rice
  • 29HavertzSubstituted forSmith Roweat 70′minutes
  • 7SakaSubstituted forFábio Vieiraat 34′minutes
  • 9Gabriel JesusBooked at 90mins
  • 19TrossardSubstituted forNelsonat 70′minutes

Substitutes

  • 1Ramsdale
  • 4White
  • 5Partey
  • 10Smith Rowe
  • 14Nketiah
  • 15Kiwior
  • 17Cédric Soares
  • 20Jorginho
  • 21Fábio Vieira
  • 24Nelson
  • 25Elneny
  • 31Hein

Live Text



Source: BBC News

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