Mason Greenwood scored a late winner against AS Monaco to earn the Man of the Match trophy as Marseille climbed up to third place in Ligue 1. The former Manchester United forward is enjoying another prolific season at the Orange Velodrome under Roberto De Zerbi. He is currently leading the Golden Boot race in France, two goals clear of Rennes’ Esteban Lepaul and Strasbourg’s Joaquín Panichelli.
After leading Marseille to a thrilling 3-2 win over Union Saint-Gilloise with a brace in the Champions League in midweek, Greenwood emerged as the Ligue 1 giants’ saviour once again as he starred with a solitary goal in their win over Monaco on Sunday.
De Zerbi’s side were far from impressive against Monaco until Greenwood popped up with a superb first-time finish in the 82nd minute. The 24-year-old, who picked up Ligue 1’s Man of the Match award after the final whistle, now has 11 goals in 15 Ligue 1 appearances this term, and 14 goals across all competitions.
After scoring a late winner in a closely fought contest on Sunday, Greenwood was understandably elated as he told Ligue 1+: “Monaco is a good team. It was incredible, it’s fantastic to take the three points tonight. The whole team is working well, we’re all in it together. It’s a collective effort.”
Despite his fine form in front of goal, De Zerbi still wants Greenwood to improve certain aspects of his game. After seeing the frontman star in Europe earlier this week, the former Brighton boss said: “Yes, I think he’s one of the best strikers in Europe. But even he, when we’re leading 3-1, needs to learn to manage the ball, not to force things and not to lose possession. And that’s not an unreasonable demand, which doesn’t mean we’re not happy with Greenwood. He’s a great player, but in those moments, I think he also needs to make the effort to hold onto the ball a little longer, to give us a bit more breathing room, to be more consistent defensively, at least by holding his position.”
Greenwood has been linked with a move back to the Premier League ahead of the winter transfer window, amid reported interest from Tottenham and West Ham.
However, a report from TEAMtalk has claimed that a return to English shores is unlikely because of Greenwood’s past at United, where he faced criminal allegations before charges against him were dropped in February 2023. Greenwood has also been linked with Barcelona, which could lead to a reunion with ex-United team-mate Marcus Rashford.
