“Joyeux anniversaire à moi,” read the caption as Hatem Ben Arfa posed, thumbs up and grinning. A small cake with a single candle sat in front of him, but celebrating he was not. The 31-year-old’s birthday had passed a month previously; instead his Instagram post back in April was born of sarcasm. “One year without a game calls for a party,” he joked. Exiled at PSG, a full year had passed since Ben Arfa had played – and scored twice – in a 4-0 win over Avranches in the Coupe de France. His career was seemingly petering out but, as this week has shown, the unpredictable Frenchman isn’t finished just yet.
Football faded from view this weekend in France as bubbling civil unrest instigated by the gilets jaunes movement forced six of 10 Ligue 1 games to be postponed as the stretched police force were unable to guarantee safety at many grounds. Some, including managers of the teams left to continue as normal, questioned the decision to play at all. However, Rennes forward Ben Arfa – once of Newcastle United and Hull City – showed no sign of relinquishing his newfound verve.
Rennes’ fifth-place finish last season under new manager Sabri Lamouchi came as a welcome surprise, the former France midfielder proving an unlikely hit in his first European club appointment. A disappointing World Cup with Ivory Coast and three years at Qatari club El Jaish amounted to his entire managerial resumé to that point. Nevertheless, Lamouchi squeezed a productive campaign from Wahbi Khazri, while ably nurturing younger talents such as rangy winger Ismaïla Sarr and technically gifted midfielder Benjamin Bourigeaud.
With European football on the horizon this season, the club’s summer transfer business appeared to be astute. They lost Khazri and imposing centre-back Joris Gnagnon, but fit again Lyon creator Clément Grenier, Caen defensive stalwart Damien da Silva, Romain del Castillo (Nîmes) and Jordy Siebatcheu (Reims) made for exciting additions. Leading the pack of new recruits was Ben Arfa. His career-defining season with Nice in 2015-16 – when the club finished fourth under Claude Puel – had earned Ben Arfa a move to PSG, but the combination of a skeptical coach in Unai Emery (who deployed him as a lone forward) and a clash of personalities with those higher up the club led to exile and the subsequent birthday cake. Nevertheless, much was expected when Ben Arfa signed a two-year deal with Rennes late in the window.
Hatem Ben Arfa in action for Newcastle. Photograph: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images
This season did not begin well for Rennes. Clearly lacking match fitness, Ben Arfa’s return was slow and fans had to wait until mid-October for any impact – a goal and an assist in a 2-1 win at Monaco. With Ben Arfa unfit and the team unable to find their rhythm, Rennes won just four of their first 15 league games. Their form in their first Europa League campaign in seven years was not much better, with three defeats in their first four games. They did secure a crucial victory at FK Jablonec 10 days ago but Lamouchi was sacked a few days later after a disastrous 4-1 home defeat to Strasbourg.
The decision seemed rash. Rennes’ recent ambitions have outstripped results as the club have jumped from one manager to the next, their return to the top six forever a medium-term goal. Having finally made some progress, Lamouchi became a victim of his own success. Although performances have fluctuated, Rennes’ main issue has been their young and inexperienced squad struggling (as many have) to deal with the draining Europa League schedule.
With Lamouchi gone, it looked like Rennes would be plunged back into transition, but Ben Arfa and interim coach Julien Stephan have had other ideas. Just 38, Stephan – son of Didier Deschamps’ national team assistant, Guy – finally unleashed Ben Arfa this week to devastating effect. “We must give him freedom and not lock him up in instructions,” insisted Stephan, “When he has this freedom, he enjoys himself and he can express himself freely. This pleasure makes him decisive.” Decisive is right.
On Wednesday night he opened the scoring with a glorious goal as Rennes beat his boyhood club Lyon 2-0 and on Saturday he gave another typically skilful and elusive display, creating the first and scoring the second as Rennes saw off Dijon by the same scoreline.
Rennes have eased their way into the top half of the table and Stephan has become the first Rennes coach since 1932 to have won his first two top-flight games. Having been given until the New Year to impress, a win over Astana in the Europa League this Thursday and the continued excellence of a rejuvenated Ben Arfa might leave the Rennes hierarchy with little option than to offer him a permanent deal. Either way, Ben Arfa will be hoping that a return to European football will be the reason he calls for a party next April. Rennes may have stumbled across the formula they have long been searching for.
Ligue 1 talking points
• VAR giveth, and VAR taketh away. Strasbourg were gutted to have conceded a late equaliser against Caen, a match that the eastern side should have, on form, been walking, but they were denied an opportunity for a winner from the spot at the death after Olivier Thual used technology to reverse what seemed a stonewall penalty. Sunday’s early match also prominently featured a penalty decision, as Fode Ballo-Touré was brought down late in stoppage time, allowing Nicolas Pepé to equalise from the spot and preserve Lille’s unbeaten run at home. VAR was not called upon in the latter instance, and Reims were frustrated, as the Lille left-back seemed to have gone down a bit too easily, showing that the system will continue to have growing pains. Yet its use in Ligue 1 seems both considered and necessary.
• That Reims led at that late juncture was down to a superb goal from Rémi Oudin. The club have garnered many plaudits for their defensive solidity (a necessary change after the departures of Diego Rigonato and Jordan Siebatcheu), but the young winger offered a potent reminder of their predatory ability with an incisive finish. A prolific scorer with the reserves, Oudin has had to make do with a wide role in the first team, with Siebatcheu and now Pablo Chavarria playing centrally, but that doesn’t mean he is not one to watch.
• Elsewhere this weekend, Strasbourg’s Lebo Mothiba was on target again, bringing his total to eight league goals for the year. Still just 22, the former Lille man was an influential presence as a targetman for Les Dogues in last season’s run-in, and has continued his good form with his move east, becoming an ideal outlet for the whipped crosses of wingbacks Kenny Lala and Lionel Carole. Europe still looks a tall order for Thierry Laurey’s side but, with Strasbourg having lost just once in the matches Mothiba has started, he has been a needed focal point and a snip at just €4m.
• Brazilian attacking midfielder Ganso was absent from Amiens’ 2-1 victory over Guingamp on Saturday night, the club citing sickness as the cause. However, it is understood that he has catastrophically fallen out with Amiens boss Christophe Pélissier in what appears to be another failed move for Neymar’s best friend. Reports suggest the relationship is so irreparable that Ganso has already cleared his belongings from his locker and demanded his agent cancel the loan deal. Amiens are refusing to terminate the agreement for the moment, despite Ganso having struggled to adapt to the physicality of Ligue 1 in his opening months in French football.
Ligue 1 results
Guingamp 1-2 Amiens
Rennes 2-0 Dijon
Strasbourg 2-2 Caen
Lille 1-1 Reims
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