Lens found themselves two goals down just ten minutes into their match against Angers, yet they did eventually manage to get back on equal terms, even if it did take them practically the entire match.
It was Paris Saint-Germain loanee Arnaud Kalimuendo who finally turned Lens’ mounting pressure into the goal that won them a point.
Born and raised in the Parisian suburbs, Kalimuendo scored 60 goals in his last two years at youth level with PSG and finally made his debut for the senior side against the team he would soon be joining.
With the likes of Kylian Mbappé and Mauco Icardi blocking his path to the starting eleven in the capital though, Kalimuendo looked elsewhere for first team football, joining Lens on loan as his contract runs down. There he has showed his talent, becoming the first Lens player in 70 years to score in his first three matches for the club.
“My season is going well. I’m blossoming, but I know that there are still a lot of matches to go.
“For me, Lens was the ideal club. There was everything I was looking for, and I was made to understand that I would have playing time. Once I knew that I did not hesitate for a second to come here.
“I can see that I am not the same player as I was six months ago. I have matured a lot in my game but I still have work to do every day because I still have areas for improvement. You should never stop questioning yourself. I’m always trying to find solutions, because I know I can do better and I am going to do better.
“I learned a lot last season from great players like Neymar, Mbappé, Icardi and [Edinson] Cavani. I improved my control when in front of goal, which was something I really wanted to learn from them. Their seriousness and their professionalism – when you rub shoulders with these kinds of players you pay attention to everything. It was like being in a dream. These are players you admire and then they are your team-mates. It was a great thing for me as a young player.
“I try to be inspired by the greatest in order to improve myself, because to reach the top level you have to be good in all aspects. I want to be the most prolific of strikers.
“When I saw Kylian score his hat-trick, I was very happy for him because he’s a friend and it’s always good that he helps the team win. It was good from Haaland too. Seeing that makes me want to surpass what I’m producing now.
“I watch pretty much all the top strikers in the world. I watch the best like [Robert] Lewandowski and [Erling] Haaland, who is a real killer. Sergio Aguero, Harry Kane and Luis Suarez are all players I watch, and I can draw something from each of them.”
In this video, we look at how Lens’ mounting pressure finally got a breakthrough against Angers and got Kalimuendo his sixth goal of the season.
No responses yet