Ghana’s Salis Samed stars as RC Lens beat Arsenal in Champions League

The 23-year-old put up a tireless performance in 90 minutes as the French side came from behind to beat the Gunners 2-1 at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis.

Arsenal took an early lead through Gabriel Jesus but were pegged back in the 25th minute when Adrien Thomasson scored with a brilliant finish.

The hosts finally went in front in the second half, thanks to Elye Wahi’s strike as Arsenal succumbed to their first defeat in this season’s Champions League.

Salis Samed partnered Nampalys Mendy in the middle of the park, with the duo working hard to thwart the Gunners’ attacks.

Although Arsenal enjoyed the larger share of possession, they struggled to create clear-cut chances throughout the game.

Meanwhile, by beating Mike Arteta’s side, Lens have now moved to the top of Group B of the Champions League.

The Ligue 1 side drew with Sevilla in their first group game, which leaves them topping the table with four points.

Salis Samed has been a mainstay in the Lens setup since joining the club from Clermont Foot in the summer of 2022.

The midfielder represented Ghana at the Qatar 2022 World Cup and started every game as the Black Stars exited at the group stages.