Lens attacker Elye Wahi was at the centre of the action as his team secured a 2-1 victory over Arsenal, propelling them to the top of Champions League Group B in a vibrant display on Tuesday night.
Wahi who was acquired from Montpellier in the summer, provided the assist for Adrien Thomasson’s first-half equalizer after Gabriel Jesus had opened the scoring.
The 20-year-old forward then sealed the win in the 69th minute, igniting celebrations at the Bollaert-Delelis stadium.
Early in the match, Lens had the first clear opportunities, with Kevin Danso’s turning shot narrowly missing the target and Thomasson’s header slightly off course. In contrast, Arsenal displayed clinical finishing, capitalizing on Lens’ initial mistake.
Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka who had sustained an injury in their 4-0 Premier League triumph over Bournemouth, suffered the same fate in France, as his place was taken up by Fabio Vieira 11 minutes before halftime.
This result positioned the Ligue 1 side at four points after two games, one ahead of Arsenal, who suffered their first group stage defeat in the competition in 10 matches.
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Sevilla stands second with two points, one ahead of PSV Eindhoven after their 1-1 draw in the Netherlands.
Lens welcomed their first Champions League home game in 21 years with a sold-out stadium for the 30th consecutive time, and the enthusiastic crowd of 38,000 was rewarded as their team continued its resurgence after a lackluster start to the season.
Lens had scored in each of their last 33 home matches in all European competitions, a streak that began in the group stage against Arsenal during the 1998-99 Champions League season, and they extended this remarkable run on Tuesday.