Article body analysed
By GETHIN HICKS, SPORTS REPORTER Published: 02: 17 AEDT, 21 October 2025 | Updated: 02: 40 AEDT, 21 October 2025 34 View comments Marseille manager Roberto De Zerbi claimed Mason Greenwood 'has room for improvement' after the former Manchester United winger netted four goals for the French side on the weekend. Following a surprising opener from Le Havre at the Velodrome, the Englishman almost single-handedly bagged OM all three points with a quartet of goals, including one impressive laced effort from the edge of the box, in a 6-2 victory. The stunning performance saw Greenwood not only equal Glenn Hoddle's record-breaking tally of goals for an Englishman in the French top-flight, but also become the first Marseille player in some 34 years to net four goals in one match. Former Ballon d'Or winner Jean-Pierre Papin was the last star to achieve such a feat back in 1991. Marseille sit top of Ligue 1 after their opening eight games of the season, currently one point in-front of league champions Paris Saint-Germain. Greenwood has already netted some six goals and provided three assists this term and is fast-becoming a cult hero in southern France, but former Brighton boss De Zerbi believes he can do more. Speaking to reporters post-match, the 46-year-old said: 'It's true that Mason can do more, not just in terms of goals scored because in that area he doesn't need to do better. Mason Greenwood netted a record-equaling four goals for Marseille against Le Havre on the weekend The former Manchester United man was at the top of his game as OM solidified their place at the top of Ligue 1 with a 6-2 victory Marseille boss Roberto De Zerbi however claimed Greenwood has 'room for improvement' 'He's already a top player in front of goal, but he can become one of the best players in the world, because he has the ability. 'He can improve in helping the team when it needs it, when it's necessary. But I want to protect Mason from criticism, he's always scored a lot of goals and never missed a training session. But he still has room for improvement. ' Greenwood shot to stardom some seven years ago as just an 18-year-old at Manchester United. He went onto make 129 appearances for the club under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick before being charged with attempted rape and controlling and coercing behaviour by police in 2021. Prosecutors eventually dropped the case against Greenwood the following year, with the 24-year-old restarting his career in La Liga with Getafe. He spent one season at the Madrid-based club, scoring 10 goals, before earning a move to Marseille in the summer of 2024. In his first season in Ligue 1, Greenwood helped Marseille on their way to a second-placed finish behind PSG. De Zerbi and co are trying to go one further this term and win the league title, something OM haven't managed in 15 years. The Marseille manager however played down talks of a first-placed finish after his side's thrashing of Le Havre, saying: 'We are all happy this Saturday. I'm not talking about the pitch, I mean the whole atmosphere. The players are good and professional. Greenwood made his final appearance for Manchester United in early 2022 He later spent a season at Getafe before becoming a talesman for Marseille 'Today is not only October 18, not May 18, so today, first place counts for nothing. ' OM are back in action on Wednesday with a Champions League clash at Sporting Lisbon.
Share what you think
The comments below have not been moderated.
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of Mail Online.
By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your Mail Online comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to Mail Online as usual. Do you want to automatically post your Mail Online comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to Mail Online as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on Mail Online. To do this we will link your Mail Online account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy. Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd