Forgotten ex Arsenal star goes viral for 'out of this world' moment at new club

Forgotten ex Arsenal star Ainsley Maitland-Niles became the talk of the footballing world this weekend as he blasted home an 'out of this world' penalty in the 106th minute for new club Olympique Lyon.

The 26-year-old joined the Ligue 1 outfit last summer from the Gunners on a free transfer having spent recent seasons on loan at Southampton, Roma and West Brom. It's been a decent first season in France for the versatile midfielder and his campaign reached a new high as Lyon faced Brest on Sunday.

It was Lyon who triumphed in the Ligue 1 fixture, moving one step closer to European qualification in a dramatic 4-3 victory. The match was tied in the dying moments before Lyon were awarded a penalty.

Somewhat surprisingly Maitland-Niles, who hadn't scored a league goal all season, stepped up to the plate. The ex Gooner then proceeded to stroll up to the ball and smash it into the top corner, past Brest goalkeeper Marco Bizot. The star then wheeled off towards the corner flag with teammates for some huge celebrations.

Watch - Who Will Win The Title Race? | The Premier League Panel

Arsenal fans who remember Maitland-Niles may recall his unique penalty style, which often saw him looking as cool as can be when lolloping up to the ball. The player made 132 appearances for Arsenal over a nine-year stay at the club, scoring three goals and grabbing seven assists, but was often a fringe figure.

Reacting to his latest penalty success online, one X user labelled Maitland-Niles 'the coldest penalty take to ever exist' while another said that 'his composure is out of this world'. One social media user added: "He’s still the coldest penalty taker this generation has seen, so calm and composed."

Maitland-Niles has become a first team regular at Lyon since the turn of the year, which has coincided with the French side's uptick in form. Pierre Sage's side are unbeaten in their last five league outings and have only lost once since the start of February. Lyon sit 7th in Ligue 1, two points off the European qualification places.