Greenwood eyes Statement Performance Against Newcastle
Mason Greenwood, currently leading the Ligue 1 scoring charts with ten goals in twelve games (a rate of 0.83 goals per match), is focused on Tuesday’s Champions League clash against newcastle United. The Olympique de Marseille striker views the match as an chance to prove himself against a Premier League opponent, a league he left under a cloud of controversy.
Greenwood’s strong form has been recognized by OM coach Roberto De Zerbi, who praised the player’s advancement after Marseille’s 5-1 victory over Nice. “Mason is making progress. I think it’s firstly mental, but also physical, with the sequence of matches. You can’t always offer the same intensity for ninety minutes. It’s up to us to manage it, but above all it’s up to him to want to make this effort. Don’t write him off to much, but I think he’s really becoming a complete player,” De Zerbi stated.
The Newcastle game carries particular weight for Greenwood, representing his first encounter with a Premier League club since his departure from Manchester United and subsequent ostracization in England following allegations of assault. He even explored the possibility of representing Jamaica, having obtained the nationality this summer, though this did not materialize.
According to Mathieu Grégoire, a correspondent for L’Équipe in Marseille, Greenwood is intensely focused on making a statement. “While the bickering was taking place on the Nice pitch, Greenwood already had his mind elsewhere, perhaps at Newcastle, this Tuesday, for a reunion at the top with a Premier League club, his birthplace,” Grégoire wrote. He added that the match is “not a trivial match,” referencing a previous on-field altercation with Aston Villa defender Tyrone Mings on August 9th.
Grégoire believes greenwood is determined to silence his critics in England and will be fully prepared for the challenge. The 90 minutes against Newcastle offer him a platform to demonstrate his current form and potentially challenge the narrative surrounding his career.
