RC Lens welcome Arsenal on Tuesday for what will be a big match for the Ligue 1 side.
The Gunners are currently top of their Champions League group, the only side in Group B to get three points in the first match. They beat PSV Eindhoven, as Sevilla drew with Lens.
For Mikel Arteta’s side, picking up a win in France would see them well on the way to qualifying for the next stage of Europe’s premier competition.
Ahead of the big match, Lens faced Strasbourg on Friday evening, with Elye Wahi scoring the only goal of the game.
That was a big moment for the 20-year-old, because it was the first time he’d found the back of the net since signing in the summer.
And it wasn’t any old signing, the youngster cost €35m plus bonuses and became Montpellier’s biggest sale, Lens’ record signing and one of the biggest ever deals between two Ligue 1 clubs.
Therefore, the pressure was on. Having scored 19 Ligue 1 goals last season, that’s what he was bought for and there’s now widespread relief he’s got off the mark.
Teammate Florian Sotoca is quoted by La Voix du Nord as saying: “We are delighted for him. We knew it was going to happen, good for him. He needed it.
“We knew it was going to happen quickly. We are very happy for him because obviously for an attacker, it is always good to score. He is someone who works a lot, who has confidence in himself. Hopefully this will get him going for the season. This goal does us good and on top of that, it’s a nice goal.”
Lens manager Franck Haise added: “Quality players, you have to be demanding with them. Elye knows that he did a very important thing for RC Lens, and for himself too, by scoring this goal which gave us the victory, but he also knows that there are other things on which he must be more efficient. He knows he didn’t do everything right.”
Ahead of the match against Arsenal, it’s a big boost for the young forward and his club. Lens aren’t thought to have picked up any injury concerns from their final match before they face the Gunners.
